According to statistics, abnormal regulation of lncRNAs pivotally influences multiple malignant tumours. DLEU2, as one of these lncRNAs, is detected to be related to growth and development of tumours. The molecular mechanisms of DLEU2 in
osteosarcoma, however, are still unknown. QRT-PCR was adopted to analyse the correlations of clinicopathological features and prognosis of
osteosarcoma cases with DLEU2. The influences of DLEU2 on cell migration and viability were evaluated independently by experiments in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis,
RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, and dual
luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the specific binding of DLEU2 to miR-337-3p. Moreover, rescue experiments were carried out to further evaluate the regulatory association between miR-337-3p expression and DLEU2. In
osteosarcoma tissues and cells, DLEU2 expression level was raised remarkably in comparison with that in para-
carcinoma normal tissues, and DLEU2 high expression had associations with poor prognosis, tumour stages, and TS of
osteosarcoma cases. Cell migration ability and viability were blocked by DLEU2 knockdown but enhanced by ectopic DLEU2 expression in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, DLEU2 was found to sponge miR-337-3p and trigger the stimulating effect in
osteosarcoma cells, which would be suppressed by miR-337-3p mimics. Furthermore, a negative correlation existed between miR-337-3p expression and DLEU2 in
osteosarcoma tissues. This study manifests that DLEU2 sponges miR-337-3p to accelerate tumour growth and is confirmed to be
a factor for poor prognosis of
osteosarcoma cases. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:
LncRNA DLEU2 has been reported to be dysregulated in many tumours; however, the functions and underlying mechanism of DLEU2 in
osteosarcoma pathogenesis are still unknown. This study is the first to demonstrate the roles of DLEU2 in
osteosarcoma and revealed that DLEU2 may serve as a
ceRNA to sponge miR-337-3p and then promote the progression of
osteosarcoma, providing a potential therapeutic target for
osteosarcoma.