Knockdown of DSPP inhibits the migration and invasion of glioma cells.

Dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) is a member of the SIBLING (Small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins) family of phosphoglycoproteins and has been proved to contribute to the migration of a variety of solid tumor cells. However, whether DSPP participates in the pathogenic process of glioma remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression and biological function of DSPP in human glioma cells. We demonstrated through Western blot that DSPP is overexpressed in glioma tissues comparing to normal brain tissues. To investigate the role of DSPP in glioma carcinogenesis, we reduced the DSPP expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and found that DSPP silencing significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of glioma cells, the critical characteristics of glioma. Furthermore, we showed that DSPP down-regulation significantly decreased the activation of the AKT/mTOR/p70S6K pathway in glioma cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that knockdown of DSPP inhibits glioma cells migration and invasion, suggesting that targeting DSPP might be a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for treating glioma.