Objective To investigate the expression of mucin 16 (MUC16) in glioma tissues, and the effect of down-regulation of MUC16 gene expression on proliferation, migration and invasion of human glioma U87 cells.Methods A total of 86 cases of patients with glioma who underwent surgery treatment in our hospital were selected from May 2013 to May 2019. In the same period, 45 patients undergoing surgical treatment for craniocerebral trauma in our hospital were selected. The expressions of MUC16 proteins in glioma and normal brain tissues were detected by using immunohistochemistry. The U87 cells were cultured and divided into MUC16 interference group, negative control group and blank group. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, MTT,scratch experiment and Transwell method were used to detect the expression of MUC16 in cells, and cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability.Results The positive expression rate of MUC16 protein in glioma patients was 73.26%, which was higher than 26.67% in the normal brain tissues, the difference was statistically significant (χ²=26.200, P<0.001). The difference of the positive expression rate of MUC16 protein between different WHO grades were statistically significant (P<0.05). The relative expression level of MUC16 mRNA in the cells, and theabsorbance A values at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, the scratchhealing rates at 24 and 48 h, the number of invasive cells in the MUC16 interference group were lower than those in the negative control group and the blank group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusions MUC16 is highly expressed in glioma tissues and is positively correlated with WHO grade. Down-regulation of MUC16 gene expression in U87 cells can inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability.