MicroRNA‚Ä?77 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in non‚Äësmall cell lung cancer by directly targeting IGF‚Ä?R
Authors: Weishen Yao
Zikun Gao
Jinglian Xie
Guohua Zhou
Journal: Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine (2019)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor; invasion; microRNA-877; non-small cell lung cancer; proliferation.
Affiliations: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University (People's Hospital of Nanhai District), Foshan, Guangdong 528000, P.R. China.

Abstract:  MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are frequently differentially expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and differential miRNAs expression may be closely associated with NSCLC genesis and development. Therefore, an in-depth investigation of the cancer-associated miRNAs that are crucial for NSCLC pathogenesis may provide effective therapeutic targets for patients with this aggressive malignant tumor type. The expression levels and roles of miR-877 have been well studied in hepatocellular carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. However, the expression pattern and functions of miR-877 in NSCLC as well as associated underlying mechanisms, to the best of our knowledge, have not yet been investigated. The present study revealed that miR-877 expression was downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Low miR-877 expression was significantly associated with TNM stage and distant metastasis in patients with NSCLC. Functional experiments demonstrated that recovery of miR-877 expression restricted the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells. In addition, bioinformatics analysis predicted insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) as a potential target of miR-877. Luciferase reporter assays, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis further validated that IGF-1R was a direct target of miR-877 in NSCLC. Furthermore, IGF-1R expression was markedly upregulated in NSCLC tissues, and exhibited an inverse correlation with miR-877 expression. Additionally, IGF-1R overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects in NSCLC cells caused by miR-877 upregulation. These findings demonstrated that miR-877 attenuated NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion, at least partly, by downregulating IGF-1R expression, thereby providing an new candidate biomarker for the diagnosis and therapy of patients with NSCLC. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figs 2C, 5C.  Figs 3A,B and 5E, F from [Zhang et al (2019)] .  Overlaps marked. Different identifications. Two separate groups of authors from unrelated institutions seem to have had access to the same pool of images, from which they were drawing images randomly to illustrate their descriptions of experiments. , 
  Figs 3A,B and 5E, F from Zhang et al (2019). The 2019 paper by Zhang et al in CMAR was [retracted on 29 September 2021] , because of these overlapping Transwell-assay images (and other duplications): -  Figure 3B, panel HCT-116 miR-877 mimics appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 2C from Zhou et al, 2019 (DOI: 10.3892 etm.2019.7676). -  Figure 6E, panel SW-480 miR-877 mimics+pcDNA3.1 appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 5C from Zhou et al, (DOI: 10.3892 etm.2019.7676). I note that the Western Blots in the present paper (Figs 4B, 5A) have a stylised appearance, frequently encountered in other papers within [a distinctive *oeuvre*] .  , 
 In two columns: - Fig 5E F from  MicroRNA-664 targets paired box protein 6 to inhibit the oncogenicity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ([Wang et al 2019] ). - Figs 2F; 4D E from  Long noncoding RNA NR2F1-AS1 enhances the malignant properties of osteosarcoma by increasing forkhead box A1 expression via sponging of microRNA-483-3p ([Li et al 2019] ). - Fig 5E from  microRNA-612 suppresses the malignant development of non-small-cell lung cancer by directly targeting bromodomain-containing protein 4 ([Kang et al 2019] ). - 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] ). - **Fig 5C**.  , 
 - *[above[* Fig 2C again. - *[below]* Fig 6E from  MicroRNA-511 inhibits malignant behaviors of breast cancer by directly targeting SOX9 and regulating the PI3K Akt pathway ([Zhao et al 2018] ) **[retracted]**.  , 
 Retracted [5 September 2022] .  Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editorsu2019 attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell invasion and migration assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 5C were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. 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. ,