Retracted : Knockdown of lncRNA HULC inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion, and promotes apoptosis by sponging miR‚Ä?22 in osteosarcoma
Authors: Daliang Kong
Yang Wang
Journal: Journal of Cellular Biochemistry (2018)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: HULC; cell invasion; miR-122; osteosarcoma; tumor growth.
Affiliations: Department of Orthopaedics, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Abstract:  Osteosarcoma is a rare malignant bone tumor with high degree of malignancy. HULC (highly upregulated in liver cancer), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) was involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development and progression, but its underlying mechanism in osteosarcoma is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the functional role of HULC in osteosarcoma. The study was conducted in human osteosarcoma cell lines and the expression of HULC in the cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the effects of HULC on tumorigenicity of osteosarcoma cells were evaluated by in vitro assays. Results revealed that HULC was highly expressed in osteosarcoma MG63 and OS-732 cells compared to osteoblast hFOB1.19 cells. Suppression of HULC in osteosarcoma cells inhibited cell viability, migration, invasion, and promoted apoptosis. HULC functioned as an endogenous sponge for miR-122, and its silence functioned through upregulating miR-122. HNF4G was a target of miR-122, and the effect of HNF4G on OS-732 cells was the same as HULC. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-122 inactivated PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT, and Notch pathways by downregulation of HNF4G. These findings suggest that knockdown of HULC inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion by sponging miR-122 in osteosarcoma cells. HULC may act as a novel therapeutic target for management of osteosarcoma. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 At right: Fig 2E (migration assay, transfected **OS-732** cells) At left: Fig 2  (A) transwell assay was used to explore the effect of NEF on cell migration in **U251** cells; ... (C) transwell assay was used to explore the effect of NEF on cell invasion in **U251** cells . From [Liang, Sun Liu (2018)] .  Overlaps indicated. These are unrelated papers with no (nominal) authors in common. , 
 #1 Extended. Here are Figs 2A C, 5C, 7D...  And Figs 2A C, 5A D from [Liang et al] .  , 
 This paper belongs to a set of over 400 papers (as per February 2020) that share very similar Western blots with tadpole-like shaped bands, the same background pattern, and striking similarities in title structures, paper layout, bar graph design, and - in a subset - flow cytometry panels. Despite these similarities, these papers are authored by researchers from different departments and institutes, with almost no overlap in authors. The list of these papers is available here: https: docs.google.com spreadsheets d 1KXqTAyl4j-jVorFPMD2XRpr76LcIKJ0CVyIvRj0exYQ edit?usp=sharing A more detailed description of this set of papers, suspected to all be generated by a common source, a paper mill , can be found here: * https: forbetterscience.com 2020 01 24 the-full-service-paper-mill-and-its-chinese-customers (January 2020) * https: scienceintegritydigest.com 2020 02 21 the-tadpole-paper-mill (February 2020) The same paper mill has been described in these papers: * Jana Christopher - Systematic fabrication of scientific images revealed - FEBS Letters (2018) - https: febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com doi full 10.1002 1873-3468.13201 * Jennifer A Byrne and Jana Christopher - Digital magic, or the dark arts of the 21st centuryu2014how can journals and peer reviewers detect manuscripts and publications from paper mills? - FEBS Letters (2020) - https: febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com doi full 10.1002 1873-3468.13747 , 
 Retraction, [2 February 2021] . ------------------------------- The above article, published online on 8 July 2017 in Wiley Online Library , has been retracted by agreement between the journal s Editor in Chief, Prof. Dr. Christian Behl, and Wiley Periodicals LLC. The retraction has been agreed following an investigation based on allegations raised by a third party. Several flaws and inconsistencies between results presented and experimental methods described were found, the editors consider the conclusions of this article to be invalid. The authors collaborated in the investigation initially, but were not available for a final confirmation of the retraction. , 
 From the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People s Republic of China:  [Results of the investigation and handling of medical research integrity cases in some educational and medical institutions](http: www.most.gov.cn zxgz kycxjs kycxgzdt 202203 t20220318_179892.html) (March 17, 2022) . Thanks Google Translate. ------------------------- 23. Wang Yang is the corresponding author and Kong Daliang is the first author of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital of Jilin University, who published the paper  Knockdown of lncRNA HULC inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and promotes apoptosis by sponging miR-122 in osteosarcoma . After investigation, the paper has the behavior of buying and selling paper data. Wang Yang (merged with 11 other papers) will be dealt with as follows: report criticism, cancel the application qualifications for science and technology projects (special projects, funds, etc.) for life, cancel the qualifications for various awards and evaluations for 2 years, cancel the effective declaration of job title and professional title promotion Qualification once, post allowance deducted for 24 months, lifelong prohibition from participating in postgraduate admissions qualification review; for Kong Daliang (merged with the other 4 papers), the following treatment will be made: Circulate criticism, cancel the application qualification for scientific and technological plan projects (special projects, funds, etc.) For 6 years, the qualifications for various awards and evaluations will be cancelled for 2 years, the qualifications for valid applications for job title and professional title promotion will be cancelled once, the post allowance will be deducted for 24 months, the qualifications for postgraduate admissions will be prohibited for 2 years, and the positions of deputy chief physician and associate professor will be revoked. u3000u3000(Notification link: http: jluxfjs.jlu.edu.cn content.jsp?urltype=news.NewsContentUrl wbtreeid=1021 wbnewsid=1453) ,