MicroRNA-34 suppresses proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells by triggering autophagy and apoptosis and inhibits cell invasion by targeting Notch 1
Authors: Lihui Si
Qing Yu
Yan Jia
Ruixin Lin
Hongjuan Jin
Shuli Yang
Wenwen Jian
Journal: Biochimie (2019)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; MicroRNA; Ovarian cancer; miR-34.
Affiliations: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China., Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China., Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China., Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors. The substance of the retraction is as follows: Attention has been drawn by Dr Elisabeth Bik to the fact that similar images representing the results of different experiments are shown in Figures 1G and 3F. She also points to the remarkable similarity between the legend text and line graphs of Figure 1 of the Biochimie article, Jia et al (2019), and Figure 1 of a publication in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci (2019), Xu et al (2019). The latter article has since been retracted. An anomymous reader has observed that Figures 1G and 3F show three rows of images shared with Figure 4 of the first-published version of a manuscript in the Journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology (J BUON), Tan et al (2019), submitted and accepted for publication before the submission of the Biochimie article, though it has since publication undergone unexplained modification to Figure 4. Furthermore, the panels shared between the Biochimie and J BUON articles are similar to panels in Figure 7 of a much earlier manuscript, published in October 2017 in Science Reports (Dai et al), as well as to a figure in a later article, Li et al (2020). In addition, the top panel of Figure 3G in Jia et al (2019) as well as the two lower panels is also similar to a part of Figure 7, Dia et al (2017). Further unexplained anomalies concern Figure 3C of Jia et al (2019). The editors would like to thank Dr Bik and the anonymous reader for their valuable insight in this matter. The above observations cast serious doubt on the scientific integrity of the Biochimie article. Confronted with the observation that panels in Figures 1G and 3F were similar though representing different experiments, the authors replied to the editors that the bottom panel in Figure 3F was a mistake and would be corrected. They were not able to produce the raw data when requested, and proposed to the editors to repeat the experiments. However, no new data have been received by the editors at the time of writing, and would not change the serious doubts that they harbour concerning the integrity of the work published in Biochimie. Therefore, the editorial team has opted for retraction irrespective of any new results. This decision has been accepted by the authors. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 There are unexpected similarities of the figures of this paper to those in a paper by different authors in a different journal, i.e. M. Xu et al. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019) - doi: 10.26355 eurrev_201906_18186 . That paper recently got retracted for unclear reasons. See: https: pubpeer.com publications E98EDBD65D72343D5DC110D554080F Even though the photos are different, legend text and line graphs are remarkably similar to each other. Here is a comparison of Figures 1 from both papers: ![file] and ![file] , 
 An additional concern: * Red boxes: the miR-NC panels in Figure 1G look very similar to the miR-34 mimics + pcDNA-Notch1 panel in Figure 3F. According to the labels these appear to be different experiments. ![file] , 
 The manuscript entitled MicroRNA-34 suppresses proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells by triggering autophagy and apoptosis and inhibits cell invasion by targeting Notch 1 is our original research work. It took a little time to respond since we ourselves were shocked with the mysterious similarities of our manuscript with the paper entitled u2018MicroRNA-29 targets FGF2 and inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via PI3K AKT signaling pathwayu2019 published by European review for medical and pharmacological sciences Nonetheless, after examining the manuscript, we found the authors have copied significant portion from our manuscript. This is clear from the legends of Figure 1. You can see the authors used WST assay to examine the cell proliferation in the methodology part, but in the legend of Figure 1C, they mention CCK8 assay was used to examine cell proliferation. This is because they copied it from our original manuscript and forgot to edit it (Note that we used CCK8 assay in our manuscript). **This could explain why the paper was later retracted by the Journal** Regarding the duplication of a part of **Figure 1G and 3F**, we had already noticed it. And this happed at the revision stage. Initially we had not submitted 3F and 3G. During the peer review process, we were asked to perform these experiments. We performed the experiments accordingly and during the preparation of the revised Figure 3 we made a mistake and used a part of Figure 1G as 3F (Given the similarity of the images). We have already revised the figure and ready to submit the correction to the journal. Before, we submit the corrections to the journal, I have asked my students to redo this part of the work for confirmation (which got a bit delayed due to Covid19 outbreak). However, for your and readers convenience, I will be adding the corrected figure 3 here now and subsequently the corrections published by the Journal. Thankyou.![file] ******************** , 
  MicroRNA-27a regulates the proliferation, chemosensitivity and invasion of human ovarian cancer cell lines by targeting Cullin 5 I find another paper published by Shuli Yang. It apparently that it looks like the same paper with the above papers. Particularly, this paper was submitted later than the one published in European review for medical and pharmacological sciences. Whomever did you imitate? please explain. , 
 #2 Figs 1G and 3F again: ![file] For comparison, Figure 4 of [Tan et al (2019)] .  Electron micrographs showing that wogonin induces autophagy in SW48 colorectal cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner (arrows show autophagosomes). ![file] UPDATE: Another sighting! Fig 4A from [Li et al (2020)] .  Electron microscopic analysis of the U87 and U118 glioma cells showing the induction of autophagy (Arrows depict autophagosomes) . ![file] , 
 Comparing *[above]* Fig 3C with *[below]* Fig 3 from  Root extract of Prunella vulgaris inhibits in vitro and in vivo carcinogenesis in MCF-5 human breast carcinoma via suppression of angiogenesis, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and modulation of PI3K AKT signalling pathway ([Gao et al 2019] ). ![file] Could the authors comment on the similarity, and also on the differences? ![file] , 
 #5 ![] The original for all these sightings turns out to be Fig 7 from  Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase Cu03b31 inhibition induces autophagy in human colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cells ([Dai et al 2017] ). ![file] ,