MicroRNA-152 inhibits cell proliferation of osteosarcoma by directly targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in a DKK1-dependent manner.

The function of microRNA‑152 for a cohort of patients with osteosarcoma and the influence on cell growth of osteosarcoma were studied. The expression of microRNA‑152 was downregulated in patients with osteosarcoma. The downregulation of microRNA‑152 promotes cell proliferation, decreases apoptosis, and suppresses LDH activity, caspase-3/9 activities and Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein expression levels of osteosarcoma through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting DKK1. Whereas, overexpression of microRNA‑152 targets DKK1 to inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and promote LDH activity, caspase-3/9 activities and Bax/Bcl-2 and p53 protein expression levels of osteosarcoma through inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The promotion of DKK1 reversed the anticancer function of microRNA‑152 over-expression through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We demonstrated that microRNA‑152 inhibits cell proliferation of osteosarcoma through DKK1 by directly targeting Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway.