MiR-124 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in glioma by targeting Smad2

Tumorigenesis research has focused on the roles of deregulated microRNAs for many years. The aberrant expression of miR-124 in many tumors has been widely reported, yet its role in glioma formation still needs further research. In this study, the expression and mechanisms of miR-124 in glioma development were explored. We found that glioma cell lines and tumor tissues demonstrated downregulated miR-124 expression, and that cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were reduced when miR-124 was restored. Furthermore, a bioinformatic analysis indicated that Smad2 was a putative target of miR-124, and we confirmed that miR-124 directly targets Smad2 in a luciferase reporter assay system. These results indicate that glioma cell growth is suppressed by miR-124 through its negative regulation of Smad2 expression. Our findings disclose a critical role of miR-124 in glioma pathogenesis, and suggest its potential application for glioma therapy.