MiR-143 regulates the proliferation and migration of osteosarcoma cells through targeting MAPK7

Accumulating documents have been suggested that microRNA-143 (miR-143) function as a tumor suppressor, involved in many biological processes including tumor initiation and progression. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of miR-143 in Osteosarcoma (OS) still remains to be further investigated. Despite many efforts have been made, the prognosis of OS is still unsatisfied. Thus, exploring the underlying mechanism of OS and finding new treatment targets is essential for improving the survival rate of OS patients. In our study, we determined the level of miR-143 in clinical OS tissues and cells, and explored its function and underlying mechanisms in the tumorigenesis of OS. Our findings revealed that miR-143 expression was significantly downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. Gain-of-function assays indicated that forced expression of miR-143 in OS cells inhibited cell proliferation and migration/invasion. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that MAPK7 was targets gene of miR-143. The results of the present study indicated that miR-143 could be a potential target for treating OS.