MiR-137 inhibits proliferation and angiogenesis of human glioblastoma cells by targeting EZH2

It is suggested that microRNAs play important roles in the development of various cancers. Here, we showed that miR-137 is downregulated in glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines and that low levels of miR-137 are associated with a poor prognostic phenotype of GBM patients. Ectopic expression of miR-137 significantly inhibited GBM cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, ectopic expression of miR-137 inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis in a SCID mouse xenograft model. EZH2 was identified as a direct target of miR-137 by using luciferase reporter and Western blot assays, and EZH2 overexpression can rescue the inhibitory effect of miR-137 on cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Furthermore, tumor samples from GBM patients showed an inverse relationship between miR-137 and EZH2 levels. Our results suggest that miR-137 may serve as a biomarker in GBM, and the modulation of its activity may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBM patients.