Long noncoding RNA CASC2 alleviates the growth, migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma via downregulating CDK1
Authors: H-M Qiu
X-M Zhu
P-F Dong
Y Li
H-B Xing
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: lncRNA; CASC2; OSCC; tumorigenesis; progression
Affiliations: Department of Stomatology, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Weihai, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: Recent studies have revealed the important role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating the progression of tumorigenesis. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent tumor in the world. This study aims to identify the specific mechanism of lncRNA CASC2 in alleviating the progression of OSCC. Patients and methods: CASC2 expression in OSCC cell lines and 40 paired OSCC samples were detected by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, in vitro functions of CASC2 in regulating the cellular behaviors of OSCC cells were identified by performing transwell assay, wound healing assay and proliferation assay. The underlying mechanism of CASC2 in mediating the progression of OSCC was explored by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Results: CASC2 expression was remarkably downregulated in OSCC tissues compared with that in adjacent normal samples. Moreover, proliferation, invasion and migration were inhibited in OSCC cells overexpressing CASC2. CASC2 overexpression in OSCC cells downregulated CDK1 at both mRNA and protein levels in vitro. Besides, the expression of CDK1 in OSCC tissues was negatively correlated to the expression of CASC2. Conclusions: CASC2 suppresses the migration, invasion and proliferation of OSCC cells through downregulating CDK1, which may offer a new therapeutic intervention for OSCC patients. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 This paper describes 44 COVID-19 patients admitted to the IHU Marseille (a hospital that does not have its own ICU). The median NEWS2 score was 8 upon admission and 10 at start of treatment, so these patients were pretty sick. 44 patients (median age 83 y) were included in this study, all of whom were contraindicated to be transferred to an ICU. Treatment was with a high-flow oxygen nasal oxygen (HFNO) device that the IHU started using on 15 September 2020. On December 1, 2020, the endpoint of the study, 16 patients had been taken of HFNO (presumably because they were doing better), and 28 patients had died. I have some questions about the study that I hope the authors would be kind enough to answer. **What qualifies as a contra-indication for ICU transfer?** The patients included in the study had to be non-eligible for an ICU transfer  due to their age and or severe comorbidities . There are little other details given here, although it is mentioned that one patient had Down Syndrome, and another had polycythaemia. Could the authors please elaborate why these patients could not be transferred? Is there a maximum age or particular comorbidity at which the IHU-M considers a patient not worth sending to an ICU? I understand that if ICU beds are scarce, the preference might be to give it to a younger patient, but the paper does not mention that the ICU was full at that time. It specifically states the patients were contra-indicated. **No control group** The paper states that all of these 44 patients would have  systematically died without the HFNO treatment. But there is little information on these patients. How certain is it that they all would have died without the HFNO treatment? Could the authors show data from a retrospective control group of age- disease severity- co-morbidities-matched patients, e.g. patient data from before the HFNO devices arrived at the IHU-M? Did 100% of these patients die before the HFNO devices arrived? Without that data, it is not sure what the contribution of these devices actually is. **Inconsistencies in treatment dates** The hospital was equipped with the HFNOs on September 15, 2020, but in the Results it is stated that the treatment started on September 14. Can the authors please clarify? ,