Circular RNA circ_0017247 promotes melanoma migration and invasion via targeting miR-145
Authors: K Kang
S Chen
S Wang
Z Chen
X-Y Zhang
J Zhang
Journal: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences (2020)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: Circular RNA; Melanoma; circ_0017247; miR-145; Tumor metastasis
Affiliations: Department of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, Tangshan Workers Hospital, Tangshan, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: The importance of the circular ribonucleic acid (RNA) in malignant tumors causes more attention of researchers. Melanoma is one of the most ordinary malignant tumors. This study aims to identify how circ_0017247 functions in the progression of melanoma. Patients and methods: Circ_0017247 expression of both melanoma patients' tissue samples and cell lines were detected by Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Moreover, the function of circ_0017247 was identified by performing the Wound healing assay, the transwell assay, and the Matrigel assay in vitro. Besides, the mechanism assays were performed to uncover the interaction between circ_0017247 and miR-145. In addition, the tumor metastasis assays were also conducted in vivo. Results: In this study, circ_0017247 expression was significantly higher in melanoma tissues compared with that in the skin tissues with a melanocytic nevus. The migrated length of the melanoma cells was reduced after circ_0017247 was silenced. Moreover, the number of migrated and invaded melanoma cells was reduced after circ_0017247 was silenced. Further experiments revealed that miR-145 was upregulated via knockdown of circ_0017247 and was also a direct target of circ_0017247 in melanoma. Furthermore, the tumor metastasis of melanoma was inhibited via knockdown of circ_0017247 in nude mice. Conclusions: Our study suggests that circ_0017247 enhances melanoma cell migration and invasion via targeting miR-145 in vitro and in vivo. 

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. , 
 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 circ_0017247 promotes melanoma migration and invasion via targeting miR-145, by Z. Chen, K. Kang, S. Chen, S. Wang, J. Zhang, X.-Y. Zhang, Z. Chen, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (4): 1932-1938u2013DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202002_20371u2013PMID: 32141562u201d has been withdrawn. [The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause] . ,