Reduced Expression of Jumonji AT-Rich Interactive Domain 2 (JARID2) in Glioma Inhibits Tumor Growth In Vitro and In Vivo

Jumonji AT-rich interactive domain 2 (JARID2) is a member of the Jumonji family of proteins and has been proposed as an oncogene in several types of human cancer. However, the role of JARID2 in human glioma has not yet been understood. The present study was designed to determine the roles of JARID2 in the proliferation and migration in human glioma cells and the growth of glioma cells in nude mice. Our data indicate that JARID2 is upregulated in human glioma tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of JARID2 obviously inhibits the proliferation of U87MG cells and tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of JARID2 inhibits migration and invasion as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in U87MG cells. Mechanistically, knockdown of JARID2 reduces the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt in U87MG cells. In summary, our study is the first one in our knowledge to indicate that JARID2 plays an important role in glioma development and progression. Therefore, JARID2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma.