Osteosarcoma is the most common histological form of primary
bone cancer, which arises from osteoid tissue. It occurs predominantly in infants and adolescents, with an incidence of 4‑5 cases/100,000,000. The 5-year survival rate of patients with
osteosarcoma has significantly improved over time; however, there remains a significant proportion of patients that respond poorly to
chemotherapy. An improved understanding of the pathology of
osteosarcoma is required to provide more effective treatment strategies, identify
biomarkers and develop novel chemotherapeutic agents. Disturbance in
microRNA (
miRNA) expression has been identified in
osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines; however, the roles of
miRNA during
osteosarcoma pathogenesis remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the expression levels of eight selected
miRNAs were investigated in
osteosarcoma tissues and the results revealed that the expression levels of miR‑542‑3p and miR‑542‑5p were significantly upregulated and the expression of miR‑199‑3p was significantly downregulated. Using a dual
luciferase assay and western blot analysis, the present study confirmed that Van Gogh‑like 2, which is a non‑canonical Wnt pathway suppressor, was a target gene of miR‑542‑3p. Subsequently, the
biological function of miR‑542‑3p in U2OS cells was examined, which revealed that overexpression of miR‑542‑3p can enhance the cell proliferation and migration ability of U2OS cells. This indicated that miR‑542‑3p may act as an oncogene in
osteosarcoma pathogenesis. The findings of the present study may provide assistance in understanding the development of
osteosarcoma and aid in the development of strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of
osteosarcoma.