Objective To investigate the effect of miR-23c on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma U87 cells and preliminary mechanisms.Methods U87 cells were transfected with miR-23c mimics, and the U87 cells transfected with miR-negative control were established as control group. MTT assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion experiment were used to observe the effect of miR-23c on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of U87 cells. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the potential target genes of miR-23c, and Western blot, RT-PCR, and luciferase reporter gene assay were used to observe the regulatory effect of miR-23c on target genes. After U87 cells were co-transfected with miR-23c mimics and MTDH, MTT assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion experiment were used to analyze the effect of MTDH transfection on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of U87 cells inhibited by miR-23c.Results The MTT assay showed that the miR-23c group had a significantly lower OD value of U87 cells than the control group (0.668±0.032 vs 1.031±0.060,P<0.01); the wound healing assay showed that the miR-23c group had a significantly lower wound healing rate than the control group (0.35±0.02 vs 0.59±0.03,P<0.01); the Transwell invasion experiment showed that the miR-23c group had a significantly lower number of U87 cells passing through the matrigel than the control group (153.2±8.30 vs 348.4±12.12,P<0.01). Western blot, RT-PCR, and luciferase reporter gene assay showed that MTDH was a target gene directly regulated by miR-23c. The MTT assay showed that the miR-23c+MTDH group had a significantly higher OD value of U87 cells than the miR-23c group (1.025±0.059 vs 0.672±0.024,P<0.01); the wound healing assay showed that the miR-23c+MTDH group had a significantly higher wound healing rate of U87 cells than the miR-23c group (0.45±0.04 vs 0.31±0.03,P<0.05); the Transwell invasion experiment showed that the miR-23c+MTDH group had a significantly higher number of U87 cells passing through the matrigel than the miR-23c group (260.9±10.23 vs 148.4±9.4,P<0.01).Conclusions Upregulation of miR-23c can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, possibly by downregulating the expression of MTDH.