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.