Objective: Recent evidence indicates that the increased expression of FOXG1 is associated with tumor genesis. This study was designed to explore the expression and role which FOXG1 plays in human glioma. Methods: We detected the expression of FOXG1 by immunohistochemistry in glioma tissue samples. Fol owing the down-regulation of FOXG1 in glioma cel lines by a specific short hairpin RNA, the function of FOXG1 in proliferation and apoptosis was assessed. Results:Glioma tissues exhibited notably higher expression of FOXG1 compared with control brain tissues and was positively corre-lated with histological malignancy. The down-regulation of FOXG1 in glioma cel s led to a cel apoptosis in vitro. Conclusion:The overexpression of FOXG1 is a novel glioma malignancy marker, and FOXG1 may be used as a new target in therapeutic strategies for human glioma.