Down-expression of miR-154 suppresses tumourigenesis in CD133(+) glioblastoma stem cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. Evidences have suggested that CD133 is a marker for a subset of glioblastoma cancer stem cells. However, whether miRNA plays a critical role in CD133(+) GBM is poorly understood. Here, we identified that miR-154 was upregulated in CD133(+) GBM cell lines. Knockdown of miR-154 remarkably suppressed proliferation and migration of CD133(+) GBM cells. Further study found that PRPS1 was a direct target of miR-154 in CD133(+) GBM cells. Overexpression of PRPS1 exhibited similar effects as miR-154 knockdown in CD133(+) GBMs. Our study identified miR-154 as a previously unrecognized positive regulator of proliferation and migration in CD133(+) GBM cells and a potentially therapeutic target of GBMs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.