Background/Aim: miRNA-1(miR-1) is downregulated in various cancer cells including osteosarcoma cells. This study was conducted to analyze the function of miR-1 in osteosarcoma cells. Materials and Methods: miR-1 expression in osteosarcoma cells was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was evaluated after transfecting miR-1 by WST8 assay and FACS analysis, both in vitro and in vivo. Results: Overexpression of miR-1 suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell-cycle arrest in the G 0-G 1 phase by increasing p21 levels via a p53-independent pathway. Overexpression of miR-1 down-regulated PAX3, a potential p21-regulating gene. Moreover, knockdown of PAX3 suppressed cell proliferation by increasing p21 levels, and induced arrest at the G 0 /G 1 phase. Administration of miR-1 showed an in vivo antitumor effect. Conclusion: Overexpression of miR-1 suppressed cell proliferation and induced arrest in the G 0 /G 1 phase by increasing p21 levels via a p53-independent pathway through PAX3 suppression. These results indicate that miR-1 could be a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is a primary bone malignancy that usually occurs in the metaphyseal region of long bones in children and adolescents, producing immature osteoids and bones. Previously, amputation of the extremities, concurrent with detection, was the conventional therapy for osteosarcoma and the 5-year survival rate was extremely poor, less than 20%, due to the inability to inhibit pulmonary metastases (1). Recently, the survival rate has increased to 60-80% through the application of combination treatments using surgery and 71 This article is freely accessible online.