MicroRNA-635 inhibits the malignancy of osteosarcoma by inducing apoptosis.

Recent evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRs), which are a class of non-coding RNAs, serve diverse roles in tumorigenesis. However, the role of miR‑635 in osteosarcoma (OS) remains unknown. The present study revealed that miR‑635 may be a tumor suppressive miR. The expression of miR‑635 was significantly decreased in OS specimens. In addition, the proliferation and invasion of OS cells transfected with miR‑635 may be effectively attenuated. Transfection of cells with miR‑635 may further inhibit tumor growth in vivo. miR‑635 may antagonize tumorigenesis of OS possibly by inducing apoptosis, as demonstrated by flow cytometric analysis and caspase‑3 kinase assays. The data of the present study suggested that miR‑635 may be a novel tumor suppressor and may serve as a putative diagnostic marker for patients with OS.