Long non‚Äëcoding RNA MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1 drives ovarian cancer progression via the microRNA‚Ä?43‚Ä?p/TAK1 axis
Authors: Shumei Han
Man Cui
Jihong Wen
Yanli Wang
Journal: Oncology Reports (2020)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: lncRNA; MCM3AP-AS1; ovarian cancer; tumor stage; lymph node metastases
Affiliations: Department of Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R.ÔøΩChina

Abstract:  The long non‚Äëcoding RNA (lncRNA) MCM3AP antisense 1 (MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1) has previously been shown to be a key regulator of multiple types of cancer; however whether it is important in the context of ovarian cancer (OC) is uncertain. The present study determined that MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1 expression in samples from patients with OC was significantly increased, and was associated with tumor stage, presence of lymph node metastases and poorer overall survival. The role of this lncRNA was investigated in vitro, and it was observed that knockdown of MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1 impaired OC cell proliferation, migration and colony formation. Similarly, it disrupted tumor growth in vivo. The present study further determined that MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1 was able to directly interact with microRNA (miRNA or miR)‚Ä?43‚Ä?p as a competing endogenous (ce)RNA for this miRNA, thereby regulating the expression of transforming growth factor‚ÄëŒ≤‚Äëactivated kinase 1 (TAK1), a known target of miR‚Ä?43‚Ä?p in OC. Consistent with this, inhibition of miR‚Ä?43‚Ä?p was sufficient to partially reverse the effects of MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1‚Äëknockdown, which inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells. Together, these results indicate that MCM3AP‚ÄëAS1 serves as an oncogenic lncRNA in OC by binding to miR‚Ä?43‚Ä?p and thereby promoting TAK1 expression, and suggest that this lncRNA may be a possible target for therapy in OC. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 Fig 6B.  Tumor images was captured at the end of the experiments .  Some of the tumors have shadows and some do not. It appears that they have been assembled digitally rather than physically, so the presence of an image of a ruler as part of the composition does not really provide any assurance about their absolute or relative scale. The same image of the same ruler is also part of the composition of another digital composite, Fig 7B of [Zhang et al (2019)] .  Representative images of xenograft tumours .   UPDATE: Another sighting of the same ruler! Fig 7B from [Fei et al (2020)] .  Representative images of formed tumors that were subcutaneously injected with U2OS cells stable transfected with sh-AFAP1-AS1 and sh-NC plasmid.  , 
 Retracted [1 July 2021] . --------------------------------------------- Following the publication of this article, the authors attention was drawn to the fact that Table I and Fig. 6 contained some errors: The former contained some incorrect data, whereas the latter contained some inappropriately selected tumor images. Following a further investigation in the Editorial Office, it has come to light that there were other possible anomalies associated with the presentation of the tumor images, and also that parts of the figure may have been published previously. Taking everything into consideration, the Editor has decided that the article should be retracted from the publication due to a lack of confidence in the data presented in this article. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not received any reply. The Editor regrets any inconvenience that the retraction of the paper will cause. --------------------------------- The  incorrect data in Table 1 is presumably the finding that a majority of the cases of ovarian cancer occurred in men.  ,