LncRNA PROX1-AS1 promotes proliferation, invasion, and migration in prostate cancer via targeting miR-647
Authors: B-W Dang
Y-F Chen
C-B Liu
J-L Chen
B-F Tan
C-H Liao
C Qian
Journal: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences (2020)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: lncRNA; PROX1-AS1; prostate cancer; RT-qPCR; MTT assay
Affiliations: Department of Urological Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Yulin, Yulin, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as an important role in many diseases. In this research, lncRNA PROX1-AS1 was explored to identify how it functioned in the development of prostate cancer (PC). Patients and methods: Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to detect PROX1-AS1 expression in PC patients. Then, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay, colony formation assay, and transwell assay were performed to identify its function in PC cells. Furthermore, the potential mechanism was also explored using mechanism assays. Results: PROX1-AS1 expression level was significantly higher in PC tissue samples and cell lines. Results of MTT assay, colony formation assay, and transwell assay showed that cell proliferation and invasion were inhibited through the silence of PROX1-AS1 in PC cells, while cell proliferation and invasion were promoted through the overexpression of PROX1-AS1 in PC cells. Furthermore, the expression of miR-647 was upregulated via the silence of PROX1-AS1 in PC cells, while the expression of miR-647 was downregulated via the overexpression of PROX1-AS1 in PC cells. Further mechanism assays showed that miR-647 was a direct target of PROX1-AS1 in PC. Correlation analysis showed that miR-647 expression was negatively correlated with PROX1-AS1 expression in PC tissues. Conclusions: Results above suggested that PROX1-AS1 could enhance cell proliferation and invasion of PC cells by sponging miR-647 and might be applied as a novel target for the treatment of PC. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 This paper is one of a set of 121 papers that all contain images from the same library of about 100 photos and plots. This is unexpected, because each paper has different authors and different affiliations, with little to no overlap, and describes different cancer types and molecules. It would be very hard to explain how authors from different lab would all obtain the same photo. Therefore, the papers might have all be derived from the same source, such as a paper mill that sells ready-to-be-published papers. This  Stock Photo paper set has been described in more detail on my blog post, https: scienceintegritydigest.com 2020 07 05 the-stock-photo-paper-mill and in a Wall Street Journal article by Eva Xiao (currently behind a paywall): https: www.wsj.com articles chinese-research-papers-raise-doubts-fueling-global-questions-about-scientific-integrity-11593939600 The vast majority (113 121) of the papers were published in the same journal, European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences (ERMPS). A link to the full set of papers can be found here: https: docs.google.com spreadsheets d 172RWS18w1lTNJ9Nnj80fuXXTqTm4fGkoK0sdYyvKE3g edit?usp=sharing All papers have been reported to the journal editors on July 2, 2020. , 
 Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, u201cLncRNA PROX1-AS1 promotes proliferation, invasion, and migration in prostate cancer via targeting miR-647, by C. Qian, C.-H. Liao, B.-F. Tan, Y.-F. Chen, B.-W. Dang, J.-L. Chen, C.-B. Liu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (6): 2938-2944u2013DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202003_20658u2013PMID: 32271411u201d has been withdrawn. [The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause] . ,