MiR-186 acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting TWIST 1 / 2 and regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma remains one of the most lethal types of cancer, and is the most common brain tumor in adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of miR-186 in regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of GBM cells. We showed that miR-186 expression levels were decreased while TWIST1 and TWIST2 expression levels were increased in detected GBM tissue samples and all of the GBM cell lines. In addition, ectopic expression of miR-186 suppressed and miR-186-in promoted EMT, migration, and invasion in U87MG and LN18 cells. Bioinformatics coupled with luciferase and Western blot assays also revealed that miR186 inhibited expression of TWIST1 and TWIST2, which are master regulators of tumor metastasis. Our study first indicates that miR-186 functions as a suppressor in regulating of GBM EMT by targeting TWSIT1 and TWIST2, and it promises as a therapeutic target and prognostic marker for metastatic GBM.