MiR-409-3p regulates cell proliferation and tumor growth by targeting E74-like factor 2 in osteosarcoma

Recent evidence has shown that miR-409-3p was down-regulated in several types of cancer, including osteosarcoma. However, the potential role of miR-409-3p in osteosarcoma remains largely unknown. In the present study, we showed that overexpression of miR-409-3p in osteosarcoma cells inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo, and the restoration of miR-409-3p promoted G1/S cell cycle arrest and induced cell apoptosis. Additionally, E74-like factor 2 (ELF2) was recognized as a new target of miR-409-3p by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Restoration of ELF2 rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-409-3p on cell proliferation in osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, ELF2 was up-regulated in osteosarcoma tissues and negatively associated with miR-409-3p levels. Taken together, our findings collectively indicate that miR-409-3p may be a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.