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An increasing number of studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the progress of many human cancers including osteosarcoma (OS). Especially, microRNA-18a-5p (miR-18a-5p) has been reported to associate with the occurrence, development and clinical outcomes of human cancers. Therefore, we investigated the functions of miR-18a-5p in OS. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that miR-18a-5p was significantly upregulated in OS tissues and cell lines (MG-63 and Saos-2). The overexpression of miR-18a-5p was found to significantly promote cell migration and invasion in MG-63 cells via Transwell assay. Moreover, luciferase reporter assays indicated that interferon regulatory factor (IRF)2 was a direct target of miR-18a-5p. IRF2 was downregulated in MG-63 and Saos-2 cell lines. Furthermore, Transwell analysis showed that the knockout of IRF2 promoted cell migration and invasion in MG-63 cells. Carcinogenesis of miR-18a-5p was reversed by the overexpression of IRF2 in OS. In conclusion, miR-18a-5p promoted the invasion and migration of OS cells through inhibiting IRF2 expression. Thus, miR-18a-5p might act as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of OS in the future.

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