MIR205 host gene (MIR205HG) drives osteosarcoma metastasis via regulating the microRNA 2114-3p (miR-2114-3p)/twist family bHLH transcription factor 2 (TWIST2) axis.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive malignant tumor with a high rate of lung metastasis and a lack of therapeutic targets. Although the anomalous expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been extensively documented in human cancer, its contribution to OS metastasis remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that MIR205 host gene (MIR205HG) was significantly elevated in human OS tissues, especially in metastatic OS tissues. Stable knockdown of MIR205HG inhibited OS cell invasion and lung metastatic foci formation, but did not affect cell viability. The vast majority of MIR205HG was situated in the cytosol, and served as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that directly bound to microRNA 2114-3p (miR-2114-3p), resulting in increased twist family bHLH transcription factor 2 (TWIST2) level. Pre-clinically, high MIR205HG was linked with dismal overall and relapse-free survival. Functionally, the attenuated cell invasion caused by MIR205HG knockdown was effectively rescued by miR-2114-3p silencing or TWIST2 overexpression. Overall, our findings suggest that the previously uncharacterized regulatory axis of MIR205HG/miR-2114-3p/TWIST2 plays a critical role in promoting OS metastasis, which implies a potential therapeutic target in OS patients with metastasis.