MicroRNA-584-3p, a novel tumor suppressor and prognostic marker, reduces the migration and invasion of human glioma cells by targeting hypoxia-induced ROCK1.

Here, we report that microRNA-584-3p (miR-584-3p) is up-regulated in hypoxic glioma cells and in high-grade human glioma tumors (WHO grades III-IV) relative to normoxic cells and to low-grade tumors (WHO grades I-II), respectively. The postoperative survival time was significantly prolonged in the high-grade glioma patients with high miR-584-3p expression compared with those with low miR-584-3p expression. miR-584-3p may function as a potent tumor suppressor and as a prognostic biomarker for malignant glioma. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these properties remain poorly understood. Our mechanistic studies revealed that miR-584-3p suppressed the migration and invasion of glioma cells by disrupting hypoxia-induced stress fiber formation. Specifically, we have found that ROCK1 is a direct and functionally relevant target of miR-584-3p in glioma cells. Our results have demonstrated a tumor suppressive function of miR-584-3p in glioma, in which it inhibits the migration and invasion of tumor cells by antagonizing hypoxia-induced, ROCK1-dependent stress fiber formation. Our findings have potential implications for glioma gene therapy and suggest that miR-584-3p could represent a prognostic indicator for glioma.