Tripartite Motif-Containing Protein 37 is Overexpressed in Human Glioma and Its Downregulation Inhibits Human Glioma Cell Growth in Vitro

Glioma is one of the most malignant tumor types worldwide. Despite great efforts made in surgery, imaging, chemotherapy, and radiation, the overall prognosis for patients with glioma remains poor. The pathogenesis of glioma is an urgent problem that must be solved. Tripartite motif-containing protein 37 (TRIM37) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that may be involved in the tumorigenesis of several types of cancer; however, its expression pattern and biological functions in glioma remain unknown. Our previous studies indicated that the expression levels of TRIM37 were upregulated in glioma samples and were associated with a higher glioma grade. The present study demonstrates that suppression of TRIM37 by RNA-mediated interference inhibits the growth of glioma cells in vitro, which is associated with induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and with inhibition of migration and invasion. These results provide insights into understanding the role of TRIM37 in regulating the biological behavior of glioma cells and may indicate TRIM37 as a candidate target for the treatment of glioma.