Meningiomas are common types of intracranial
tumor. Invasive and
malignant meningiomas present a significant therapeutic challenge due to high rates of recurrence and invasion. Understanding the molecular mechanism of invasion may assist in designing novel therapeutic approaches and improving patient survival rates. The HER‑2 gene has been demonstrated to be a useful predictor of
tumor aggression, which promotes the survival and growth of
cancer cells through the mitogen‑activated
protein kinase and/or
phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. Until now, few studies have investigated the associateion between
meningiomas and the expression of HER‑2, and the significance of HER‑2 in
meningiomas remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the HER‑2 gene on the biological behaviors of human malignant
meningioma cells. The results demonstrated that downregulation of the expression of HER‑2 by
small interfering RNA in human
meningioma cells significantly inhibited cell motility and proliferation, led to cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1‑phase and increased early apoptosis. By contrast, the overexpression of HER‑2 group resulted in
meningioma cell invasion, migration and proliferation being significantly enhanced, cell cycle was promoted at the G1/S‑phase and early apoptosis was decreased. Accordingly, the inhibition of HER‑2 also prevented the
protein expression of PI3K and phosphorylated AKT. The results demonstrated that regulation of the HER‑2 gene can affect the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and
metastasis abilities of human
meningioma cells in vitro. Furthermore, PI3K/AKT may contribute to the
carcinogenesis and development of human
meningiomas in combination with HER-2.