TRIM24 aggravates the progression of ovarian cancer through negatively regulating FOXM1 level
Authors: S-S Pan
H Han
H-E Zhou
Journal: European review for medical and pharmacological sciences (2019)
Discipline: PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
Keywords: TRIM24; FOXM1; ovarian cancer; biological functions; feedback loop
Affiliations: Department of Gynaecology, First People's Hospital of Fuyang District, Hangzhou, China. .

Abstract:  Objective: This study aims to uncover the biological functions of the feedback loop tripartite motif-containing 24 (TRIM24)/Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) in the pathological progression of ovarian cancer (OC) and the underlying mechanism. Patients and methods: The expression levels of TRIM24 and FOXM1 in OC tissues and cells were determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The potential correlation between TRIM24 level and clinical indexes of OC patients was analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier curves were depicted for evaluating the prognostic potentials of TRIM24 and FOXM1 in OC patients. The regulatory effects of TRIM24 and FOXM1 on proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells were assessed through functional experiments. The rescue experiments were performed to clarify the feedback loop TRIM24/FOXM1 in influencing the progression of OC. Results: TRIM24 was upregulated in OC tissues and cells. The high level of TRIM24 was linked to higher rates of lymphatic and distant metastasis and worse survival in OC patients. The silence of TRIM24 attenuated proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells. FOXM1 level was negatively regulated by TRIM24, which was downregulated in OC. The low level of FOXM1 predicted worse survival in OC patients. Besides, the rescue experiments demonstrated that the feedback loop TRIM24/FOXM1 aggravated the malignant progression of OC. Conclusions: TRIM24 is upregulated in OC tissues, and closely linked to the occurrence of lymphatic and distant metastasis. Through negatively regulating FOXM1 level, TRIM24 aggravates the progression of OC. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Fig 4F.  A negative correlation between expression levels of TRIM24 and FOXM1 in OC tissue . ![file] For comparison:  Here is a small collage of the plots ([h t Elisabeth Bik] ): ![] , 
 Figs 1D, 4E.  Survival in OC patients expressing high and low level of TRIM24 ....  Survival in OC patients expressing high and low level of FOXM1. The two pairs of survival curves are not compatible. Each pair displays deaths with no corresponding death in the other pair. ![file] , 
 This paper appears to be part of a large set of papers ( 200 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, flow cytometry panels, 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. 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. Many of these survival plots show a sudden drop of survival at 75 months (see comment #2 above). Another characteristic is the lack of percentages in their Tables I in columns promising percentages, and the spread of patients into roughly equally-sized group, no matter which parameter is chosen. The very similar layout and overlapping photos suggest these papers might have all been created by the same entity, perhaps a paper mill. Here is Table I with its undelivered percentages in the High Low columns. ![file] , 
 Figure 3A: * Red and blue boxes: Two panels, representing ovarian cancer cell lines, look unexpectedly similar to panels in Figure 4C of HZ Ma et al., ERMPS (2020), doi: 10.26355 eurrev_202003_20489, https: pubpeer.com publications 9CF8AF2EE6D9FDB9A11CE9D2547D21, where they represent osteosarcoma cell lines. ![file] ,