miR-145-5p modulates CDCA3 to overcome gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer

miR-145-5p regulates drug sensitivity in various cancer types and is also expressed at significantly low levels in pancreatic cancer (PC), but its role in PC resistance to gemcitabine is not yet clear. This study revealed low expression of miR-145-5p in the PC gemcitabine-resistant cell lines SW1990/GEM and PANC-1/GEM. The overexpression of miR-145-5p inhibited the proliferation and migration of PC drug-resistant cells. Mechanistically, miR-145-5p overexpression increased the sensitivity of PC drug-resistant cells to gemcitabine through the inhibition of CDCA3, thereby inhibiting the proliferation and migration of PC drug-resistant cells. Our study indicated that the upregulation of miR-145-5p expression might be an effective target for improving the treatment efficacy of PC.