Oncol Rep 40: [Related article:] 39–48, 2018; DOI:
10.3892/or.2018.6424
Following the publication of this paper, it was
drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain
of the Transwell cell invasion assay data shown in Fig. 2B on p. 42
and the immunofluorescence data shown in Fig. 4D on p. 44 were
strikingly similar to data appearing in other articles written by
different authors at different research institutes that were
submitted to different journals at around the same time. Moreover,
a further investigation of this paper undertaken by the Editorial
Office identified a large number of overlapping data panels
comparing the Transwell cell migration and invasion assay data and
the scratch-wound assay data both within and between Figs. 2 and 3,
where data which were intended to have shown the results from
differently performed experiments had apparently been derived from
the same original source, including an overlapping section of data
within the ‘MEG3+mimic’ panel in Fig. 3G that would be difficult to
attribute to pure chance. Owing to the fact that the contentious
data in the above article had already been submitted for
publication at around the same time as its submission to
Oncology Reports, and given an overall lack of confidence in
the presented 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.
