MiR-1 Suppresses Proliferation of Osteosarcoma Cells by Up-regulating p21 via PAX3

Background/Aim: miRNA-1(miR-1) is down-regulated in various cancer cells including osteosarcoma cells. This study was conducted to analyze the function of miR-1 in osteosarcoma cells. Materials and Methods: miR-1 expression in osteosarcoma cells was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was evaluated after transfecting miR-1 by WST8 assay and FACS analysis, both in vitro and in vivo. Results: Overexpression of miR-1 suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell-cycle arrest in the G0-G1 phase by increasing p21 levels via a p53-independent pathway. Overexpression of miR-1 down-regulated PAX3, a potential p21-regulating gene. Moreover, knockdown of PAX3 suppressed cell proliferation by increasing p21 levels, and induced arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Administration of miR-1 showed an in vivo antitumor effect. Conclusion: Overexpression of miR-1 suppressed cell proliferation and induced arrest in the G0/G1 phase by increasing p21 levels via a p53-independent pathway through PAX3 suppression. These results indicate that miR-1 could be a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma