The Role of miRNA in the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common malignant tumors derived from mesenchymal tissue and is highly invasive, mainly in children and adolescents. Treatment of OS is mostly based on standard treatment options, including aggressive surgical resection, systemic chemotherapy, and targeted radiation therapy, but the 5-year survival rate is still low. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a highly conserved type of endogenous nonprotein-encoding RNA, about 19-25 nucleotides in length, whose transcription process is independent of other genes. Generally, miRNAs play a role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and development by binding to the 3' untranslated region of target mRNAs, whereby they can degrade or induce translational silencing. Although miRNAs play a regulatory role in various metabolic processes, they are not translated into proteins. Several studies have shown that miRNAs play an important role in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of OS. Herein, the authors describe new advances in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of miRNAs in OS.