Int J Oncol 36: 665-672, 2010; DOI: 10.3892/ijo_00000542

Following the publication of the above article, a concerned reader drew to the Editor's attention that, regarding the western blots featured in Fig. 3B on p. 670, the bands featured in the U251 and U251-MC lanes for the miR-21 and U6 experiments appeared to be duplicates of each other. Moreover, certain of these data were strikingly similar to data that appeared in another article published at around the same time featuring some of the same authors (again, with apparent duplications of bands within the same gel slices, as they were presented).

After having conducted an internal investigation of this matter, the Editor of International Journal of Oncology has judged that the apparently anomalous grouping of the data could not have been attributed to pure coincidence. Therefore, the Editor has decided that this article should be retracted from the publication on the grounds of an overall lack of confidence in the data. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor sincerely apologizes to the readership for any incovenience caused, and we thank the reader for bringing this matter to our attention.