Circular RNA_LARP4 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by repressing ROCK1
Authors: K Zhu
X-L Bao
J-Y Pan
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; circular RNA_LARP4; tumorigenesis; proliferation; metastasis
Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Haining People's Hospital, Haining, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most ordinary malignant tumors. Recent studies have revealed that circular RNAs play an important role in the progression of tumorigenesis. This study aims to identify how circular RNA_LARP4 functions in the progression of NPC. Patients and methods: We performed Real Time quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) in 58 paired NPC patients' tissue samples and cell lines to detect circular RNA_LARP4 expression. The function of circular RNA_LARP4 in the NPC proliferation was identified by performing proliferation assay and colony formation assay. Moreover, the function of circular RNA_LARP4 in NPC metastasis was measured by performing scratch wound assay and transwell assay in vitro. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was explored through Western blot assay and RT-qPCR. Results: Circular RNA_LARP4 expression was significantly lower in NPC tissues compared to that in adjacent samples. Cell proliferation of NPC was inhibited after overexpression of circular RNA_LARP4 in vitro. Cell migration and invasion of NPC was inhibited after overexpression of circular RNA_LARP4 in vitro. Furthermore, the results of further experiments revealed that Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1) was downregulated via overexpression of circular RNA_LARP4 and was also a direct target of circular RNA_LARP4 in NPC. Conclusions: This study suggests that circular RNA_LARP4 inhibits NPC cell proliferation and metastasis via targeting ROCK1 in vitro. 

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. , 
 Now retracted: https: www.europeanreview.org article 24141 ------------------------------------------------- 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, u201cCircular RNA_LARP4 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by repressing ROCK1, by J.-Y. Pan, X.-L. Bao, K. Zhu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (22): 9915-9922u2013DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201911_19557u2013PMID: 31799660u201d has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. ,