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Knockdown MTDH Inhibits Glioma Proliferation and Migration and Promotes Apoptosis by Downregulating MYBL2
Junqi Fu1, Jun Peng1, Guolong Tu1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Haikou People's Hospital, Haikou, Hainan Province 570208, China.
Abstract:
Glioma is a malignant tumor that often occurs in the adult central nervous system. Metadherin/astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (MTDH) is involved in the development of cancer, but its relationship with glioma remains unclear. This study is aimed at clarifying the role of MTDH in glioma. GEPIA was employed to find the difference of the expression level of MTDH and MYB protooncogene-like 2 (MYBL2) in glioma tissues and normal tissues, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) were applied to verify the differential gene expression of MTDH and MYBL2 cells. After knocking down of MTDH, the expressions of forkhead box M1 (FoxM1), MTDH, and MYBL2 were detected by WB cells. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was applied to measure cell apoptosis. The transwell assay was utilized to investigate the ability of cell migration and invasion. The results showed that MTDH and MYBL2 were overexpressed in glioma cells compared with normal cells. The knockdown of MTDH would inhibit the expression of MYBL2 through decreasing the expression of FoxM1 and further reduce glioma cell proliferation and cell migration and invasion. The present study showed that knockdown of MTDH inhibits glioma proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis by downregulating MYBL2, which suggests that MTDH is a potential gene in clinical treatment of glioma.
Insights
Metadherin (MTDH) is overexpressed in glioma and drives tumor growth. Inhibiting MTDH reduces glioma cell proliferation and migration by downregulating MYBL2, suggesting MTDH as a potential therapeutic target for glioma.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Molecular biology
- Cancer genetics
Background:
- Glioma is a common malignant central nervous system tumor in adults.
- The role of Metadherin/astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (MTDH) in glioma pathogenesis is not fully understood.
- MTDH is implicated in various cancers, highlighting its potential oncogenic functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the functional role of MTDH in glioma development.
- To investigate the relationship between MTDH and MYBL2 expression in glioma.
- To assess the therapeutic potential of targeting MTDH in glioma.
Main Methods:
- Gene expression analysis using GEPIA, qRT-PCR, and Western Blot (WB).
- Functional assays including cell proliferation (CCK-8), apoptosis (flow cytometry), migration, and invasion (Transwell assay).
- In vitro knockdown of MTDH to evaluate downstream effects on MYBL2 and FoxM1 expression.
Main Results:
- MTDH and MYBL2 were significantly overexpressed in glioma tissues compared to normal tissues.
- Knockdown of MTDH reduced MYBL2 and FoxM1 expression in glioma cells.
- MTDH inhibition suppressed glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis.
Conclusions:
- MTDH promotes glioma progression by upregulating MYBL2 expression.
- Downregulation of MTDH inhibits glioma cell proliferation and metastasis.
- MTDH represents a promising therapeutic target for clinical intervention in glioma treatment.

