miR‑103 is abnormally expressed in various human cancer types. However, the detailed expression pattern, biological functions and underlying molecular mechanism of miR‑103 in glioma remain unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression, biological roles and underlying mechanisms of miR‑103 in glioma. Results of the present study demonstrated that miR‑103 was significantly down‑regulated in glioma tissues and cell lines. Functional experiments demonstrated that miR‑103 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells in vitro. Additionally, brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was identified as a direct functional target of miR‑103 in glioma. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expression levels of BDNF were highly upregulated in glioma tissues compared with normal brain tissues. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated a negative association between miR‑103 and BDNF mRNA expression levels in glioma tissues. Furthermore, rescue experiments demonstrated that BDNF up‑regulation reversed the suppressive effects of miR‑103 on glioma cell proliferation and invasion. Therefore, the authors of the present study hypothesized that the interaction between miR‑103 and BDNF serves a role in glioma progression and, in the future, may serve as a therapeutic target for glioma treatment 1).