The downregulation of miR-144 is associated with the growth and invasion of osteosarcoma cells through the regulation of TAGLN expression.

Alterations in the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the majority of human malignancies, and the dysregulation of microRNA-144 (miR-144) has been associated with several diseases. However, the potential involvement of miR-144 in osteosarcoma, a common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents with a high risk of relapse and metastasis, has not yet been fully investigated. In the present study, we examined the expression and roles of miRNAs in osteosarcoma as potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, and we focused on miR-144 due to its known involvement in osteogenesis. We demonstrate that miR-144 is downregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines and primary human osteosarcoma tissue samples and that its ectopic expression inhibits osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion. We identified TAGLN as a downstream target of miR-144 and demonstrated that its expression is upregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines and tumor tissue and is inversely correlated with miR-144 expression. Our results indicate that miR-144 may regulate osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion by downregulating its target gene, TAGLN, suggesting that miR-144 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.