MiR-34c inhibits osteosarcoma metastasis and chemoresistance.

Studies have shown that miR-34c is associated with metastasis and the chemoresponse of several cancers, but its role in osteosarcoma (OS) is unclear. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of miR-34c in OS metastasis and chemoresponse. In this study, we found that the expression of miR-34c was significantly decreased in specimens from OS patients with a poor chemoresponse or metastasis compared to those with a good chemoresponse and no metastasis. The inhibition of miR-34c significantly stimulated OS cell invasion and chemoresistance in vitro. In contrast, restoring miR-34c significantly inhibited OS cell invasion and chemoresistance. Furthermore, we identified Notch1 and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) as target genes of miR-34c in OS cells and demonstrated that Notch1 and LEF1 have a major role in the effects of miR-34c on OS cell chemosensitivity and metastasis. Taken together, our data indicate that miR-34c suppresses OS metastasis and chemoresistance by targeting Notch1 and LEF1. Restoring miR-34c may have important implications for the development of strategies for inhibiting metastasis and overcoming OS cell resistance to chemotherapy.