Recent studies implicated IKKε in the pathogenesis of many human cancers by promoting cell proliferation, increasing tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, and generating resistance to cell apoptosis. However, whether IKKε can influence the invasive ability and proliferation of glioma cells remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that overexpression of IKKε is positively correlated to glioma pathological grade, suggesting that IKKε plays a role in tumor progression, rather than tumor initiation. Targeted knockdown of IKKε in human glioma cells using siRNA, was associated with inhibition of cell growth, cell cycle arrest and decreased cell invasion; however, notable apoptosis was not observed. Furthermore, we demonstrated that transposition of NF-κB p65 resulted in the alteration of these phenotypes. Tumor growth was attenuated in established subcutaneous gliomas in nude mice treated with IKKε siRNA in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that deregulation of IKKε plays a pivotal role in the uncontrolled proliferation and malignant invasion of glioma cells in vitro and in vivo by targeting NF-κB. Silencing of IKKε using synthetic siRNAs may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of glioma.