Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of cancer‑associated mortalities among women worldwide today. Accumulating evidence suggested that miR‑372 may serve important roles in the initiation and development of various human cancers. However, the role of miR‑372 in breast cancer remains unknown. The present study demonstrated that the expression level of miR‑372 in human breast cancer tissues and cell lines is significantly reduced compared with normal breast tissues cell lines. Furthermore, results of functional assays indicated that miR‑372 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line. E2F1 was identified as a direct functional target of miR‑372 in breast cancer. In conclusion, the findings revealed that miR‑372 may have the potential to act as a novel molecule for the diagnosis and therapy of patients with breast cancer.