MicroRNA-34a targets notch1 and inhibits cell proliferation in glioblastoma multiforme

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been implicated in cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we found that microRNA-34a (miR-34a) is significantly downregulated in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) specimens compared with normal brain tissues. Growth curve and colony formation assays revealed that miR-34a suppresses proliferation of U373MG and SHG44 glioblastoma cells. Overexpression of miR-34a could induce apoptosis of glioblastoma cells. Also, we identified notch1 as a direct target gene of miR-34a. Knockdown of notch1 showed similar cellular functions as overexpression of miR-34a both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our findings show that miR-34a is downregulated in GBM cells and inhibits GBM growth by targeting notch1.