Id-1 promotes osteosarcoma cell growth and inhibits cell apoptosis via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Accumulating evidence reveals that Id-1 is upregulated and functions as a potential tumor promoter in several human cancer types. However, the role of Id-1 in osteosarcoma (OS) is unknown. In present study, we found that Id-1 expression was elevated in OS tissues than adjacent normal bone tissues. More importantly, we demonstrated that overexpression of Id-1 is significantly correlated with tumor progression and poor survival in OS patients. Furthermore, increased expression of Id-1 was observed in OS cell lines and ectopic expression of Id-1 significantly enhanced in vitro cell proliferation and promoted in vivo tumor growth, whereas knockdown of Id-1 suppressed OS cells growth. Moreover, our experimental data revealed that Id-1 promotes cell proliferation by facilitating cell cycle progression and inhibits cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the effects of Id-1 in OS cells is at least partly through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, we identified a tumorigenic role of Id-1 in OS and suggested a potential therapeutic target for OS patients.