<p>Long Noncoding RNA LINC01426 Sequesters microRNA-519d-5p to Promote Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Increasing ETS1 Expression</p>
Authors: Bing Wang
Jixin Dai
Xi Chen
Xuerong Zuo
Yueming Zhao
Hongxia Cui
Xianhong Liu
Journal: Cancer Management and Research (2020)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: ETS proto-oncogene 1; NSCLC; ceRNA; long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1426.
Affiliations: Department of Oncology, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130000, People's Republic of China., Department of Radiotherapy, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130000, People's Republic of China.

Abstract:  Purpose: Recent studies have identified important roles for long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1426 (LINC01426) in glioma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The present study evaluated the expression profile of LINC01426 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, the function of LINC01426 in NSCLC and the molecular mechanisms involved were extensively studied. Methods: The abundance of LINC01426 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was determined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, transwell experiments for migration and invasion, and xenograft tumor model were used to assess the function of LINC01426 in NSCLC cells. Mechanistic studies were performed using the luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. Results: Significant LINC01426 upregulation was observed in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Silencing LINC01426 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and facilitated cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, interference of LINC01426 restricted tumor growth of NSCLC cells in vivo. In addition, LINC01426 showed the ability to directly bind to microRNA-519d-5p (miR-519d-5p) and act as a molecular sponge for miR-519d-5p in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the ETS proto-oncogene 1 (ETS1) was identified as a direct target of miR-519d-5p and LINC01426 could indirectly upregulate ETS1 expression by sponging miR-519d-5p. Moreover, the cancer-inhibiting activities of LINC01426 knockdown in NSCLC cells were partially offset by miR-519d-5p inhibition. Conclusion: LINC01426 increases ETS1 expression by sequestering miR-519d-5p, thereby aggravating the malignant progression of NSCLC. The LINC01426/miR-519d-5p/ETS1 competing endogenous RNA pathway may provide a target for designing therapeutic agents for NSCLC treatment. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Here are multiple appearances of what seems to be the same well-traveled ruler, marked by a distinctive scratch just to the right of 2 . Different teams of researchers from six different institutions somehow used it to provide scale for the xenograft tumors in their studies. There would be no problem if all the images had been recorded at a single lab, but the papers do not mention outsourcing any of the experiments to an outside contractor. Upper row: - Fig 7B from [Chen et al (2021)] .  Representative images of subcutaneous tumours collected from the sh-USP30-AS1 and sh-NC groups. Rotated through 90 deg for ease of comparison. - Fig 8A from [Luo et al (2020)] .  Representative images of tumor xenografts originating from SW480 cells stably expressing sh-LINC00239 or sh-NC. Rotated through 90 deg. - Fig 7A from [Liu et al (2020)] .  Representative images of tumor xenografts that originated from SW480 cells stably overexpressing sh-VPS9D1-AS1 or sh-NC .  Middle row: - Fig 7B from [He et al (2021)] .  At 31 days following cell injection, all mice were euthanized and tumor xenografts were resected and imaged . - Fig 6B from [Liu et al (2020)] .  All mice were euthanized at the end of the experiment, and the tumor xenografts were harvested and imaged . Rotated through 90 deg. - Fig 8A from [Yang, Yang Wang (2020)] .  Tumor growth curves were plotted according to the tumor volumes measured weekly .  Lower row: - Fig 7B from [Li et al (2020)] .  Representative images of tumor xenografts collected from short hairpin RNA (sh)-LINC00525 and control (sh-NC) groups . - **Fig 6A from [Dai et al (2020)] **.  After 28 days post-inoculation, mice were euthanized and tumor xenografts were dissected and photographed .  , 
 Expression of Concern, [16 October 2021] . --------------------------------- The Editor and Publisher of *Cancer Management and Research* wish to publish an Expression of Concern for the published article. Following publication, concerns were raised about the scientific integrity of the articles content. We reached out to the authors requesting they supply information that would confirm the integrity of the data. The authors provided several files in response to our queries but they did not satisfy our requirements to confirm the authenticity of some types of data. In addition, there were unexplained similarities between some of the figures presented in this article, and figures presented in articles by different authors groups. As yet, the authors have not provided a satisfactory explanation for this. Therefore, as we continue to work through the issues raised, we advise readers to interpret the information presented in the article with due caution. The authors have been notified about this Expression of Concern. , 
 To help the editors investigation, here is a match between - *[left]* Fig 7H from  LINC00511 promotes the malignant phenotype of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by sponging microRNA-625 and thereby increasing cyclin D1 expression ([Deng et al 2019] ). - *[right]* Fig 2E.  , 
 - *[left]* Fig 3B from  MicroRNAu2011873 targets HOXA9 to inhibit the aggressive phenotype of osteosarcoma by deactivating the Wnt u03b2u2011catenin pathway ([Liu et al 2019] ). - *[middle]* **Fig 5J**. - *[right]* Fig 5D from  Long Noncoding RNA SNHG7, a Molecular Sponge for microRNA-485, Promotes the Aggressive Behavior of Cervical Cancer by Regulating PAK4 ([Wu et al 2020] ) **[retracted]**.  ,