Oncol Rep 37: [Related article:] 1123–1131, 2017; DOI:
10.3892/or.2016.5326
Following the publication of the above article, a
concerned reader drew to the Editor's attention that, regarding the
cell migration assay experiments shown in Fig. 3B, the ‘miR-24-3p
inhibitor’ panels that had been included to represent the T24 and
HBC cell lines contained an overlapping section of data, such that
data which were intended to show the results of different
experiments had apparently been derived from the same original
source. Upon performing an independent analysis of the data in this
paper in the Editorial Office, it subsequently came to light that
several of the western blot data featured in Fig. 3E were
strikingly similar to data that appeared in five other papers (one
of which was received earlier than this paper at Saudi Journal
of Biological Sciences with no authors held in common); in
addition, cell invasion assay data featured in Fig. 2G were also
strikingly similar to data which appeared in a pair of subsequently
published papers that too featured no authors in common.
Given the issue of data sharing and the fact that
certain of the western blot data had been included in an article
that was already been submitted for publication to another journal,
the Editor of Oncology Reports has decided that this paper
should be retracted from the Journal on account of a lack of
confidence in the presented data. 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.
