MicroRNA (miR)-22 has previously been reported to be frequently downregulated in certain types of cancer. The present study examined the expression and effects of miR-22 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The results indicated that miR‑22 was downregulated in tumor tissue from patients with RCC. In addition, lower miR‑22 expression levels were associated with histological grade, tumor stage and lymph node metas-tasis. Following transfection of RCC cells with miR‑22, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, cell migration, cell invasion and luciferase assays, and western blotting were conducted. The results demonstrated that miR‑22 was able to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion in 786‑O and A498 cells. Furthermore, the results indicated that miR‑22 may directly target phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in RCC. In conclusion, the present study suggested that the miR-22/PTEN axis may be considered a novel therapeutic target in RCC. These findings may be beneficial for the development of an effective therapy against RCC.