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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression by inducing the degradation of RNA or interfering with translation. Aberrant miRNA expression has been described in several types of cancer in humans. In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR-145 is downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and the Panc-1 cell line. Restoration of miR-145 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration in Panc-1 cells. Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 9 (NEDD9) has been identified as a novel potential miR-145 target using bioinformatics. Using luciferase reporter constructs, it was observed that the NEDD9 3'-untranslated region is the location of the direct binding site for miR-145. Additionally, it was identified that miR-145 is inversely correlated with NEDD9 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues and that restoration of miR-145 in Panc-1 cells reduced NEDD9 mRNA and protein expression accompanied by inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and migration. In conclusion, these findings indicate that miR-145 may be an effective target for pancreatic cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]