Long non-coding RNA HAND2-AS1 targets glucose metabolism and inhibits cancer cell proliferation in osteosarcoma

Long non-coding RNA heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 2-antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA HAND2-AS1) is a known tumor suppressor gene in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma; however, its function in osteosarcoma is currently unknown. In the present study, HAND2-AS1 expression in the tumor tissues and adjacent healthy tissues of patients with osteosarcoma, and in the serum of patients and heathy controls was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. lncRNA HAND2-AS1 small interfering RNA was transfected into osteosarcoma cells, and cell proliferation, glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression and glucose uptake were detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8, western blotting and glucose uptake assays, respectively. The results revealed that the expression levels of HAND2-AS1 were reduced in cancer tissues compared with those in healthy tissues. Levels of HAND2-AS1 were also reduced in the serum of patients with osteosarcoma compared with those of the control subjects. A significant association was observed between serum levels of HAND2-AS1 and tumor size, but not tumor metastasis. HAND2-AS1-knockdown promoted osteosarcoma cell proliferation, increased glucose uptake and upregulated GLUT1 expression. It was therefore concluded that lncRNA HAND2-AS1 may inhibit the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells by targeting glucose metabolism.