Oncol Lett 22: [Related article:] 651, 2021; DOI:
10.3892/ol.2021.12912
Following the publication of the above paper, it has
been drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that a
pair of data panels in Fig. 2D and F showing the results of
migration/invasion assay experiments contained an overlapping
section, such that data panels which were intended to show the
results of differently performed experiments had been derived from
the same original source. In addition, three of the data panels in
Fig. 7C and E, also showing the results of cell migration/invasion
assay experiments, appeared subsequently in a paper submitted to
the journal Journal of Cancer that featured the author Zhixi
Chen in common. Furthermore, upon performing an independent
analysis of the data in this paper in the Editorial Office, it came
to light that western blot data featured in Fig. 6E appeared
subsequently in a paper featuring no authors in common in the
journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, and also in another paper
featuring the author Zhixi Chen in common that had already been
accepted for publicaton in the journal Oncology Letters.
The authors have been contacted by the Editorial
Office to offer an explanation for these apparent anomalies in the
presentation of the data in this paper, and we are awaiting their
response. Owing to the fact that the Editorial Office has been made
aware of potential issues surrounding the scientific integrity of
this paper, we are issuing an Expression of Concern to notify
readers of this potential problem while the Editorial Office
continues to investigate this matter further.
