Bmi-1 regulates the migration and invasion of glioma cells through p16

Bmi-1 is involved in the development of several human cancers; however, its significance in glioma progression remains largely unknown. We report that downregulation of Bmi-1 clearly reduces glioma cell migration and invasion. Downregulation of Bmi-1 promotes the expression of the tumor suppressor p16, which is important in glioma cell motility. Reduction in glioma cell invasion due to downregulation of Bmi-1 could be rescued by p16 downregulation. These results show that Bmi-1 contributes to the motility of glioma cells by regulating the expression of p16.