miR-545 inhibited pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth by targeting RIG-I

•Levels of miR-545 are lower in PDAC compared to normal tissues.•Up-regulation of miR-545 inhibits PDAC cell growth.•MiR-545 directly targets the 3′UTR of RIG-I.•Low miR-545 levels and high RIG-I protein expression in PDAC tissues both correlate with poor overall-survival.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) ranks fourth on the list of cancer-related causes of death. Deregulation or dysfunction of miRNAs contribute to cancer development. In this study, we found that low miR-545 level and high RIG-I protein in PDAC tissues were both correlated with low survival rate. MiR-545 up-regulation inhibited PDAC cell lines growth and vice versa. 3′UTR of RIG-I was targeted by miR-545. Thus we concluded that low miR-545 levels in PDAC promote tumor cells growth, and this is associated with reduced survival in PDAC patients. MiR-545 exerts its effects by directly targeting RIG-1.