<p>microRNA-628 inhibits the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells by directly targeting IGF-1R</p>
Authors: Xin Jiang
Qiaoyan Han
Miao Sun
Lu Chen
Haoyue Chen
Chunhua Liu
Journal: OncoTargets and Therapy (2019)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: PI3K/Akt pathway; acute myeloid leukemia; apoptosis; cell cycle; insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor
Affiliations: Department of Hematology, Jingjiang People's Hospital, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Jiangsu 214500, P.R. China, ; .

Abstract:  Background: A variety of microRNAs (miRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and these dysregulated miRNAs perform crucial roles in tumorigenesis and progression of AML. miR-628-3p (miR-628), one of the miRNAs dysregulated in multiple types of human cancers, exerts antitumor roles in different cancer types. However, no specific study has explored the expression pattern and role of miR-628 in AML. Materials and methods: In this study, RT-qPCR was performed to detect miR-628 expression in AML tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry analysis and xenograft tumor experiment was carried out to determine the functions of miR-628 in AML cells. The possible mechanism underlying the activity of miR-628 in AML cells was also explored using a series of experiments. Results: Our results revealed the downregulated expression of miR-628 in patients with AML and AML cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-628 resulted in the inhibition of AML cell proliferation and induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and attenuation of tumor growth in vivo. Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) was identified as a direct target gene of miR-628 in AML cells. IGF-1R expression was upregulated in patients with AML and upregulation of IGF-1R expression inversely correlated with miR-628 level. Furthermore, IGF-1R knockdown imitated the tumor suppressive effect of miR-628 in AML cells. Restoration of IGF-1R expression abrogated the effects of miR-628 on the proliferation, cycle status, and apoptosis rate of AML cells. miR-628 inhibited the activation of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in AML cells both in vitro and in vivo through the inhibition of IGF-1R expression. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that miR-628 exhibits antitumor effects in AML through the direct targeting of IGF-1R and regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway, suggestive of its potential role as a therapeutic target in patients with this aggressive hematological malignant tumor. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 Figs 2D, 4D, 5D. ![file] Several panels appear in other papers by unrelated teams of researchers. Green rectangle matches Figs 2C, 5C, 6C from [Wang et al (2018)] . ![file] Here in context: ![file] Brown rectangle matches Figs 2D, 4D, 5D from [Zhao et al (2018)] . ![file] Here in context. ![file] Violet and purple rectangles match Figs 2D, 5D, 6E from [Wang et al (2019)] . ![file] Here in context. ![file] There may be other matches. , 
 A panel is shared with [Lv et al (2019)] . ![] Here in context: ![] , 
 Figs 2D, 4D, 5D again. ![file] Blue box marks a panel shared with Figs 2C,4C, 6B of [Li, Li Sun (2019)] . ![] ![] ------------------------------------- Bright green box marks a panel shared with Figs 2D, 5D, 6D of [Yun et al (2019)] . ![] ![] , 
 Retracted, [17 September 2021] . ---------------- The Editor and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised over alleged image duplication in Figures 2D, 4D and 5D with similar images from unrelated articles, specifically: - Figure 4D, panel HL-60 NC siRNA appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 6B from Li et al, 2019 . - Figure 4D, panel THP-1 NC siRNA appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 5C from Wang et al, 2018 . - Figure 5D, panel HL-60 miR-NC appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 6E from Wang et al, 2019 . - Figure 5D, panel HL-60 miR-628 mimics + pc-IGF-1R appears to have been duplicated with similar images from Figure 5C from Lv et al, 2019 and Figure 6D from Yun et al, 2019 . - Figure 5D, panel THP-1 miR-NC appears to have been duplicated with a similar image in Figure 4D from Zhao et al, 2018 . The authors did not respond to our queries and the Editor determined the findings of the study were no longer valid and advised for the article to be retracted. Our decision-making was informed by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retraction. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as u201cRetractedu201d. ,