Oncol Rep 44: [Related article:] 2595–2609, 2020; DOI:
10.3892/or.2020.7787
Following the publication of this paper, it was
drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that,
regarding the western blot experiments shown in Figs. 6E and 7C, a
pair of the gel slices were strikingly similar in appearance,
suggesting that the same data had been included in these figures to
show the results with different proteins. Moreover, two additional
gel slices in these figures had apparently been re-used in a pair
of subsequent papers published by the same research group, where
the experimental conditions were indicated to be different, and it
was noted by the Editorial Office that one of the gel slices may
have contained an anomaly in the form of a break in the continuity
of the gel.
Upon asking the authors to provide the Editorial
Office with an explanation of the above issues, they did supply us
with revised versions of Figs. 6E and 7C; however, it was
subsequently pointed out to the authors that certain of the western
blot data in Fig. 6E had apparently reappeared in a further paper
by the same authors, in the journal Integrative Cancer
Therapies. Owing to the lack of a further response from the
authors in relation to the latter query, the Editor of Oncology
Reports has decided that this paper should now be retracted
from the Journal on account of a lack of confidence in the
presented data. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any
inconvenience caused.
