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 metastasis. 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.