MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in cancer development. Several studies have indicated that miRNAs mediate tumorigenesis processes, such as inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of the microRNA-185 (miR-185) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma (OS). MiR-185 expression was reduced in OS tissues and OS cell lines. MiR-185 inhibited OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase assay validated that vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) was a direct target of miR-185. Overexpression of miR-185 in OC cells reduced VAMP2 expression in protein and mRNA levels, whereas suppression of miR-185 led to an increase in VAMP2 protein and mRNA levels. In addition, we found that VAMP2 silencing inhibited the OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Further studies verified that introducing VAMP2 mRNA into cells over-expressing miR-185 abrogated the effects of miR-185 on OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, these results confirm that decreased expression of miR-185 might be regarded as a tumor marker for the early diagnosis of OS, by manipulating of its interactive factors with VAMP2, to provide an effective novel therapeutic target for treatment of the OS tumor.