MiRNA-215-5p alleviates the metastasis of prostate cancer by targeting PGK1
Authors: D Chen
J-Y Chen
L-F Xu
W-H Liu
Y-Q Wen
H-L Hu
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2020)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: MicroRNAs; miRNA-215-5p; prostate cancer; metastasis; prognosis
Affiliations: Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China.  .

Abstract:  Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding RNAs, which exert crucial functions in regulating biological progressions. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-tumor effect of miRNA-215-5p. However, its specific role in influencing the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. This study aims to uncover the regulatory effect of miRNA-215-5p on the metastasis and prognosis of PCa. Patients and methods: MiRNA-215-5p levels in collected PCa tissues (n=52) and paracancerous tissues (n=52) were determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between miRNA-215-5p level and pathological indexes, as well as overall survival of PCa patients, was analyzed. Regulatory effects of miRNA-215-5p on proliferative and metastatic capacities of LNCaP and DU-145 cells were evaluated through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay, respectively. Bioinformatics prediction was performed to search for the target genes of miRNA-215-5p and PGK1 was selected. The biological role of PGK1 in the progression of PCa was finally clarified by a series of rescue experiments. Results: MiRNA-215-5p was lowly expressed in PCa tissues and cell lines. Low level of miRNA-215-5p predicted poor prognosis in PCa patients. The silence of miRNA-215-5p enhanced viability, migratory, and invasive capacities of LNCaP cells, while the overexpression of miRNA-215-5p yielded the opposite trends in DU-145 cells. PGK1 was predicted to be the target of miRNA-215-5p. PGK1 was upregulated in PCa tissues and cell lines and its high level predicted poor prognosis of PCa. Moreover, PGK1 level was negatively correlated to that of miRNA-215-5p in PCa tissues. PGK1 was able to reverse the regulatory effects of miRNA-215-5p on metastatic potentials of PCa cells. Conclusions: Downregulated miRNA-215-5p in PCa is closely related to distant metastasis and poor prognosis of affected patients. MiRNA-215-5p alleviates the malignant progression of PCa by targeting and downregulating PGK1. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 2C. * Blue boxes: Two panels appear to show an overlap. ![file] , 
 This paper s correlation plot looks similar to that of at least 8 other papers. These papers also all have the  comb-like survival plots following  Hoya s Law , with a sudden drop at 75 months. I have been calling this the  Comb group of papers. Here is a list of the papers identified so far that all have similar negative correlation plots. * X Shi et al., ERMPS (2019), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201912_19778 - https: pubpeer.com publications 3133C4267A6FBF81D00B0AF9FB9F2C * CY Yang et al., ERMPS (2019), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201908_18736 - https: pubpeer.com publications 04A58FD5AFBB311D1A2938B0612E1E * HG Zhang et al., ERMPS (2019), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201903_17239 - https: pubpeer.com publications D916E15502393940A4F3151E1D300C * JY Chen et al, ERMPS (2020), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202001_20040 - https: pubpeer.com publications 9266A736E004B8D7C32F6811161C1C * SS Li et al., ERMPS (2020) - DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202002_20163 - https: pubpeer.com publications 5CDE9845135F510EC218243CD501F9 * TZ Zheng et al., ERMPS (2020) - DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202002_20369 - https: pubpeer.com publications AF0159381E48D7937D78C948FAB379 * JB Ma et al., ERMPS (2019) - DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201902_17108 - https: pubpeer.com publications 2EB1B6A17E9877F2D7F8FE4E117446 * HW Sun et al., ERMPS (2019)- DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201910_19299 - https: pubpeer.com publications 937B0CAD1A01B66E854F4A6CCDA56B * K Jia et al., ERMPS (2020) - DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202003_20508 - https: pubpeer.com publications 11550517E8A0503AFDC49D460BAD30 And here is a collage of the nine correlation plots, where I have circled some similar groupings of points. ![file] , 
 #2 Figs 1C, 4D.  Overall survival in PCa patients with high and low expression of miR-215-5p ...  Overall survival in PCa patients with high and low expression of PGK1 . ![file] It is not possible for these two plots to have emerged from the same set of survival times, by dichotomising patients according to different criteria. Both survival rates in 1C are lower than their counterparts in 4D. If you have developed prostate cancer, your overall survival prospects are higher if you are classified by PGK1 than by miR-215-5p. , 
 Thank you for your attention and scientific attitude. We checked the experimental data with the laboratory team at the first time. In previous studies, mir-215-5p and PGK1 were negatively correlated in prostate cancer. It is true that some experimental data baseline is not uniform and lack of strict. There is something wrong with saving pictures in the folder. The experimental team was asked to repeat the experiment and discuss the data with the editor of the magazine. Re upload new experimental data or withdraw the manuscript to repeat all experiments. , 
 Dear Dr. Chen, Thank you for your reply. Could you clarify what you mean by the experimental team ? Were the experiments not performed by your own team? The similarities of the graph in this paper to that in several other papers by other authors is of grave concern. In particular since the graphs are not completely the same, but appear to have data points missing or added, if comparing them in pairs. How can you explain that a graph from your research is so similar to that of others? , 
 At 38% of cases, the number of younger PCa cases ( 60) is surprisingly high. ![file] The usual distribution of age at diagnosis is more like this: ![file] The high mortality rate after 75 months calls out for explanation as well. What happened? Euthanasia? , 
 A panel in this paper s Figure 2C appears to show an overlap with a panel in Figure 4C of Hongbo Xu and Yan Ye, Oncology Letters (2021), DOI: 10.3892 ol.2020.12347, https: pubpeer.com publications 44EA5562309EF3714716B56E472F75. Shown with teal boxes. ![file] , 
 This paper appears to be part of a set of papers (n=175 as of today and growing) that share a very similar layout. Subsets of these papers appear to share similar Kaplan-Meier survival plots, correlation plots, and overlapping photos of wound-healing, transwell assays, etc. Yet, there is little to no overlap between the authors of these papers or their departments and affiliated institutions. The very similar layout and overlapping photos suggest these papers might have all been created by the same entity, perhaps a paper mill. I have been calling this set the  Comb papers, because the Kaplan-Meier plots have a comb-like appearance. For PubPeer user Hoya Camphorifolia, the survival plots look like Lego blocks. Many of these survival plots show a sudden drop of survival at 75 months. Here is a subset of four papers that all appear to show overlapping transwell photos (in addition to the one show above in #7): * Zhen Zeng et al., Am J Transl Res (2019), PMID: 31396353 - https: pubpeer.com publications AA0E480CA9F49590BE399B212CC580 * Q Deng et al. ERMPS (2020), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202002_20352 - https: pubpeer.com publications 6B1CB43EB2391F97D79E03A98EB300 * X Shi et al., ERMPS (2019), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201912_19778 - https: pubpeer.com publications 3133C4267A6FBF81D00B0AF9FB9F2C * JY Chen et al., ERMPS (2020), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202001_20040 - https: pubpeer.com publications 9266A736E004B8D7C32F6811161C1C ![file] , 
 After checking and considering, I informed the magazine to withdraw the manuscript by e-mail that day. We will do the experiment again according to the design of the subject, and statistical analysis of the data. I apologize for my lack of rigorous scientific attitude and misleading readers. At the same time, thank you very much for your work and reminder. ,