LncRNA CASC15 promotes migration and invasion in prostate cancer via targeting miR-200a-3p
Authors: Y-Y Li
X-C Zhou
C Zhang
Y Li
G-X Wang
B Fu
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: Prostate cancer; long noncoding RNAs; lncRNA CASC15; tumor metastasis; RT-qPCR
Affiliations: Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most ordinary malignant cancers. Recent researches have proved that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as an important role in cancers. Our study aims to explore the function of lncRNA CASC15 in the tumor metastasis of PC. Patients and methods: Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to detect CASC15 expression in 50 PC patients. Besides, the wound healing assay and transwell assay were performed to identify the biological behavior changes of PC cells after CASC15 was silenced in PC cells. In addition, the potential mechanism was also explored using the luciferase assay. Results: CASC15 expression level was significantly higher in PC tissues and cell lines. Results of wound healing assay and transwell assay revealed that cell migrated ability and invaded ability were suppressed via silence of CASC15 in PC cells. Furthermore, the expression of miR-200a-3p was upregulated via silence of CASC15 in PC cells. Luciferase assay showed that miR-200a-3p was a direct target of CASC15 in PC. In addition, miR-200a-3p expression was negatively correlated with CASC15 expression in PC tissues. Rescue experiments also revealed that the inhibition of PC migration and invasion by silence of CASC15 could be reversed through knockdown of miR-200a-3p. Conclusions: Our study uncovers that CASC15 could enhance cell migration and invasion of PC cells by sponging miR-200a-3p, which might be applied as a novel therapeutic target for PC patients. 

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 labs 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. , 
 Figure 2B show two panels that not only both match the 100 photos in the Stock Photo library, but that also appear to overlap with each other. Both are showing the  TW22- The Eyes photo. Overlap shown with red boxes. ![file] , 
 The publishers have wished the paper into the cornfield: https: www.europeanreview.org article 21866 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 CASC15 promotes migration and invasion in prostate cancer via targeting miR-200a-3p, by C. Zhang, G.-X. Wang, B. Fu, X.-C. Zhou, Y. Li, Y.-Y. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (19): 8303-8309u2013DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201910_19141u2013PMID: 31646560u201d has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. ,