MicroRNA-940 inhibits glioma cells proliferation and cell cycle progression by targeting CKS1.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequently occurred malignant human tumor that arise in brain with a poor prognosis. microRNAs (miRNAs) are vital small molecules during GBM initiation and progression. However, the expression of miR-940 and its potential function in GBM remain poor. Our study demonstrated that miR-940 was dramatically decreased in GBM cells and glioma tissues. Introduction of miR-940 significantly repressed proliferative ability of GBM cells. Notably, treatment of miR-940 dramatically suppressed tumor growth in an animal model, accompanied by decreased Ki67 expression. Functional experiments showed CKS1 as a target of miR-940, knockdown of CKS1 significantly induced the cell cycle arrest and restrained GBM cells proliferation, consistent with miR-940 treatment. Furthermore, reintroduction of CKS1 into glioma cells effectively rescued the tumor suppressive effect of miR-940. Correlation analysis indicated that miR-940 expression was inversely related to CKS1 mRNA levels in NBTs and gliomas. Together, miR-940/CKS1 signaling may be required for GBM progression and provide a new insight in diagnosis and prognosis of GBM patients.