Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone
tumor, usually arising in the long bones of adolescents and young adults. While our knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of OS has increased in recent years, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease, such as its
tumorigenesis, specific mediators of
disease progression, occurrence of chemoresistance, and development of
metastasis. After the recent discovery of
microRNAs (
miRNAs), their critical roles in molecular biological processes have been of great interest in the
cancer research field, including research on
sarcomas.
MiRNAs are highly conserved noncoding RNAs which play important roles as oncogenic or suppressive genes to simultaneously regulate multiple targets. Recent genome-wide screening using
miRNA expression profiles has identified specific
miRNA expression patterns that are associated with the biological and clinical properties of
cancers. Additionally,
miRNAs and their target genes or
proteins can be potential novel
biomarkers or therapeutic targets for
cancer. However, there are several challenges that must be addressed in order to translate
miRNA-based
therapeutics to the clinical setting. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the roles that
miRNAs play in OS, and highlight their potential as
biomarkers or therapeutic targets.