The article ‘Long Non-Coding RNA PVT1/miR-150/ HIG2 Axis Regulates the Proliferation, Invasion and the Balance of Iron Metabolism of Hepatocellular Carcinoma’,[Cellular Physiology and Bio-chemistry(2018) 49 (4): 1403–1419.https://doi.org/10.1159/000493445] by Yunxiuxiu Xu, Xinxi Luo, Wenguang He, Guangcheng Chen, Yanshan Li, Wenxin Li, Xicheng Wang, Yu Lai, Yibiao Ye, has been retracted by the current and former Publishers.
Following publication, concerns were raised regarding the image integrity. Specifically, concerns have been raised regarding the images 2D, 3C, 7E and 9A in the article.
Figure 2D contains panels that appear to overlap in shape with figures in two previously published articles by different authors, Figure 2E of [1] and Figure 2G of [2].The first panel of Figure 2D also seems present in Figure 3A by a previously published, now retracted, article by a different author group [3]. The fourth panel of Figure 2D also seems present in Figure 2C by a previously published, now retracted, article by another author group [4]. In Figure 3C three out of four panels are also presented in Figure 3C of a previously published article by a different author group [1]. In Figure 3C the third panel is also presented in Figure 3A “BCYRN1 scramble” of a subsequently published article by a different author group [5]. Figure 7E GAPDH appears to be a duplicate of Figure 7F GAPDH. The images in Figure 9A “shRNA scramble” are also presented in Figure 8A “shRNA” of a previously published, now retracted, article by a different author group [6].
When asked to comment the corresponding author and contacted co-authors did not respond. The concern was therefore raised to the corresponding author’s institution which also did not reply to our request for an investigation within the given timeframe. As the concerns raised about these figures could not be addressed or resolved, the reliability of the findings presented in the article cannot be guaranteed and the article is being retracted.
The authors have not responded to the notice of the retraction within the given timeframe.
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| 5 | Peng J, Hou F, Feng J, Xu S X, Meng X.Y. Long non-coding RNA BCYRN1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of cervical cancer via targeting microRNA-138 in vitro and in vivo. Oncology letters, 2018 15(4), 5809-5818. DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8015. |
| 6 | Li Y, Zhu G, Ma Y, Qu H. Li Y, Zhu G, Ma Y, Qu H. lncRNA CCAT1 contributes to the growth and invasion of gastric cancer via targeting miR-219-1. Journal of cellular biochemistry. 2017 Dec;120(12):19457-68. Retraction in https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.26560 lncRNA CCAT1 contributes to the growth and invasion of gastric cancer via targeting miR-219-1. Journal of cellular biochemistry. 2019 July; 120(7):12072-72. |