ABSTRACT: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with high risk of colon cancer and a variety of other diseases. The active vitamin D metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) regulates gene transcription via its nuclear receptor (VDR), and posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms of gene expression have also been proposed. We have identified microRNA-22 (miR-22) and several other miRNA species as 1,25(OH)2D3 targets in human colon cancer cells. Remarkably, miR-22 is induced by 1,25(OH)2D3 in a time-, dose-, and VDR-dependent manner. In SW480-ADH and HCT116 cells, miR-22 loss-of-function by transfection of a miR-22 inhibitor (anti-miR-22) suppresses the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3. Additionally, miR-22 inhibition increases cell migration per se and decreases the antimigratory effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 in both cell types. In silico analysis shows a significant overlap between genes suppressed by 1,25(OH)2D3 and miR-22 putative target genes. Consistently, miR-22 inhibition abrogates the reduction by 1,25(OH)2D3–mediated suppression of NELL2, OGN, HNRPH1, and NFAT5 genes. In 39 out of 50 (78%) human colon cancer patients, miR-22 expression was found lower in the tumor than in the matched normal tissue and correlated directly with that of VDR. Our results indicate that miR-22 is induced by 1,25(OH)2D3 in human colon cancer cells and it may contribute to its antitumor action against this neoplasia. We have analysed a human colon cancer cell line, SW480-ADH, treated with 1,25(OH)2D3 or isopropanol (vehicle) at three different time points (24, 48 and 96 hours). Each experiment was replicated 2 times by dye swap.