By detecting the expression of circPIP5K1A, miR-515-5p, TCF12 and PI3K/AKT in glioma tissues and cells and exploring the relationship among these molecules, we discovered that circPIP5K1A inhibits the miR-515-5p level and upregulates TCF12 by serving as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-515-5p, which in turn affects glioma cell proliferation and metastasis. Here, TCF12 is linked to central nervous system cancer.