Oncol Lett 15: [Related article:] 789–794, 2018; DOI:
10.3892/ol.2017.7431
Following the publication of this paper, it was
drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that,
regarding the scratch-wound assay data shown in Fig. 3 on p. 791,
the ‘miR-378 inhibitors’ panel contained a strikingly similar
arrangement of the cells to one of the data panels featured in the
following paper, which was written by different authors at
different research institutions, and which had been submitted to
the journal in question in advance of the submission to Oncology
Letters: Ren H, Qi Y, Yin X and Gao J: miR-136 targets MIEN1
and involves the metastasis of colon cancer by suppressing
epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Onco Targets Ther 11: 67–74,
2017. Moreover, the ‘Control’ panel contained possible anomalous
features, such as repetitive patterns of cells within the data
panel itself.
In view of the fact that certain of the data
featured in Fig. 3 had been submitted for publication before the
receipt of this article to Oncology Letters, and in view of
an overall lack of confidence in the data, the Editor has decided
that this paper should be retracted from the journal. The authors
were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but
the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes
to the readership for any inconvenience caused.
