Exp Ther Med 13:[Related article:] 2211–2216, 2017; DOI:
10.3892/etm.2017.4266
Following the publication of the above article, a
concerned reader drew to the Editor’s attention that, regarding the
CD34 immunohistochemical staining experiments shown in Fig. 2 on p.
2214, there were potential anomalies associated with the data shown
in all six panels; essentially, patternings of subgroups of cells
within the images were very similar, also appearing in matching
positions comparing across various of the figure panels, to the
extent that it was difficult to conceive of the similarities as
being coincidental. Moreover, concerning the results for the blood
perfusion experiments shown in Fig. 1, two pairs of the data panels
were strikingly similar, suggesting that these data were derived
from the same original source.
After having conducted an internal investigation of
the data in this paper, in addition to the incorrect assembly of
Fig. 1, the Editor of Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
has judged that the potentially anomalous presentation of the
strikingly similar groupings of cells in Fig. 2 was too extensive
that these features could have been easily attributed to
coincidence, Therefore, the Editor has decided that this article
should be retracted from the publication on the grounds of an
overall lack of confidence in the data. The authors were asked for
an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial
Office did not receive a reply. The Editor sincerely apologizes to
the readership for any incovenience caused, and we thank the reader
for bringing this matter to our attention.
