MicroRNA-539 suppresses osteosarcoma cell invasion and migration in vitro and targeting Matrix metallopeptidase-8.

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small, non-coding RNA that involved in different cancer-related processes. Previous studies have been indicated miR-539 as a tumor suppressor during tumorigenesis. However, the role of miR-539 in osteosarcoma is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrate miR-539 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues compared to adjacent normal tissue. Functional study suggests miR-539 inhabits the osteosarcoma cell proliferation, invasion and migration. We also identified that MMP8 was a direct target of miR-539 by the luciferase activity assay. These findings provide evidence that miR-539 plays a key role in inhibiting osteosarcoma cell invasion and migration and can regulating MMP8 expression in osteosarcoma cells. These strongly suggest that exogenous miR-539 may have therapeutic value in treating osteosarcoma.