MicroRNA-490-3p regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting HMGA2 in osteosarcoma

MicroRNA-490-3p (miR-490-3p) has been implicated in several human malignancies; however, its potential functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms in osteosarcoma progression remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that miR-490-3p was down-regulated in osteosarcoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-490-3p decreased cell proliferation, induced G1 arrest and apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumorigenicity in a mouse xenograft model. Furthermore, miR-490-3p bound directly to HMGA2 mRNA 3′UTR and mediated a decrease in HMGA2 mRNA and protein expression. Re-expression of HMGA2 reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-490-3p. Further investigations showed an inverse correlation between low miR-490-3p and high HMGA2 expression in osteosarcoma tissues. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-490-3p functions as a potential tumor suppressor by down-regulating HMGA2 expression directly, and it may represent a potential therapeutic target for patients with osteosarcoma.