LINC01308 accelerates the malignant progression of ovarian cancer by binding to miRNA-506
Authors: Y Guo
P Li
Y-Y Zhang
J Yang
M-Z Zhu
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: LINC01308; ovarian cancer; miRNA-506; metastasis; prognosis
Affiliations: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: To detect the expression pattern of LINC01308 in ovarian cancer (OC), and further clarify whether LINC01308 could promote the malignant progression of OC by mediating microRNA-506 (miRNA-506). Patients and methods: Relative level of LINC01308 in 28 pairs of OC tissues and paracancerous tissues was determined by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We analyzed the correlation between LINC01308 level and the prognosis of OC patients. Subsequently, LINC01308 level in OC cell lines was determined as well. By transfection of sh-LINC01308 in 3AO and CAOV3 cell lines, we evaluated the influence of LINC01308 on cellular behaviors of OC through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and wound healing assay. Target downstream of LINC01308 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Finally, the regulatory effect of LINC01308/miRNA-506 on OC cell behaviors was examined through a series of rescue experiments. Results: LINC01308 was highly expressed in OC tissues relative to controls. OC patients with high-level LINC01308 had higher rates of lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, and lower survival rate compared with those with low level. By transfection of sh-LINC01308 in OC cells, the migratory and invasive abilities were markedly weakened. MiRNA-506 was found to be the target gene of LINC01308, and its level was negatively regulated by LINC01308 in OC tissues. Finally, we found that miRNA-506 knockdown reversed the regulatory effect of LINC01308 on the migratory and invasive abilities of OC cells. Conclusions: LINC01308 is highly expressed in OC and correlated to metastasis and poor prognosis. LINC01308 enhances OC cells to migrate and invade by targeting miRNA-506. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 *[right]* Fig 3D from [Zhang et al (2019)] .  A negative correlation between LINC01308 and miR-506 in OC . *[left]* Fig 3F from [Wang Wen (2020)] .  There is a significant negative correlation between the expression of SOHG14 and miR-655-3p in EC tissues . Many points in common. ![file] , 
 This paper appears to be part of a set of papers (n=170 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 suggests 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. This particular paper is part of a subset of at least three papers within the Comb papers that share very similar correlation plots: * L Yang et al., ERMPS (2020), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202002_20156 - https: pubpeer.com publications B324F0C5CC90125D4A9AA9F883A5DC * WH Tong et al., ERMPS (2020), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_202006_21650 - https: pubpeer.com publications B9D1695D3FF5C8CBF592ABF89FFA07 * YY Zhang et al., ERMPS (2019), DOI: 10.26355 eurrev_201904_17685 - https: pubpeer.com publications 89034A18A6D0A2ACB2FBCE505D6EED As Hoya pointed out above, there might be more papers that share similar plots too. Here is a compilation of the correlation plots from these three different papers. Colored boxes and lines point out some characteristic groups of data points. ![file] ,