LncRNA TUG1 promotes the development of osteosarcoma through RUNX2

The lncRNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) is known to serve a role as an oncogene in the development of a number of human malignancies. However, the functionality of TUG1 in osteosarcoma remains poorly characterized. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of TUG1 in osteosarcoma. TUG1 expression in tumor tissues, adjacent healthy tissues and plasma from 40 osteosarcoma patients and 40 healthy controls was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the diagnostic value of TUG1 for osteosarcoma while the prognostic value of TUG1 for osteosarcoma was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. TUG1 expression vectors and siRNAs were transfected into MG-63 and U2OS osteosarcoma cell lines, and the effects on osteosarcoma cell viability, migration and invasion were tested using Cell Counting kit-8 and Transwell assays. The effects of TUG1 overexpression on runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) expression were also detected using western blotting. TUG1 expression was found to be significantly higher in osteosarcoma tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues, and in the plasma of osteosarcoma patients compared with healthy controls. TUG1 expression also exhibited significant diagnostic and prognostic value for osteosarcoma. TUG1 overexpression and knockdown respectively increased and reducedosteosarcoma cell viability, migration and invasion. In addition, TUG1 overexpression upregulated RUNX2 expression. These results suggest that lncRNA TUG1 may promote the development of osteosarcoma by modulating RUNX2 and TUG1 expression, which can serve as prognostic and diagnostic markers for this malignancy.