The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of silencing hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) on proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioblastoma U87 cells. HIF-1α-shRNA lentiviral vector was designed for liposome-mediated transfection into U87 cells. The efficiency of interference was assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Cell migration was observed by the migration test. The capabilities of invasion and migration were detected using the Transwell model. The research involved experiments in the interference group (shRNA transfected), the control interference group (empty vector transfected), and the untreated (non-transfected) group. Compared with the control interference group and the untreated group, the expressions of HIF-1α mRNA and protein were significantly down-regulated, and the proliferation and invasion of U87 cells were significantly inhibited in the interference group. HIF-1α mRNA and protein are effectively suppressed by HIF-1α-shRNA in U87 cells, which appears to inhibit proliferation, invasion, and migration of U87 cells.