The article ‘MicroRNA-214 Suppresses Ovarian Cancer by Targeting β-Catenin’, [Cell Physiol Biochem 2018;45:1654-1662. DOI: 10.1159/000487733] by Yang Liu, Jie Lin, Shujuan Zhai, Chunyi Sun,Changjun Xu, Honglin Zhou and Huijin Liu has been retracted by the current and former Publishers and the Editor.
Following publication, image concerns regarding figures 1a, 2, 3 and 5a were raised. Specifically, image duplication was identified between figure 1a “Malignant Tumor” and figure 1a “Malignant ovarian cancer” of a previously published article by a different author group [1], between figure 1a “Normal Ovarian Tissues” and figure 1a “Normal Ovarian Tissues” of [1] as well as between figure 1a “Innocent Ovarian Tumor” and figure 1a “Benign Ovarian Cancer” of [1]. Image duplication was identified between figure 2 “SKOV-3-miR-Control” and figure 3a “ERα+ SKOV-3” of [1]. Additionally, partial image duplication within Figure 3 between the panels “WT SKOV-3” and “SKOV-3-miR-Control” was identified as well as a duplication of a flow cytometry plot between Figure 5a “WT SKOV-3” and SKOV-3-miR-214”.
The authors did not respond to requests to comment on the concerns and provide the raw data within the given timeframe despite multiple attempts of contact. The matter has been raised to the corresponding author’s institution who did not respond to our request for an investigation. Given the severity of the concerns raised this article is being retracted.
The authors have not responded to our correspondence regarding this retraction despite multiple attempts of contact.
1. Ansar, W., Mukhopadhyay, S., Habib, S.H. et al. Disease-associated glycosylated molecular variants of human C-reactive protein activate complement-mediated hemolysis of erythrocytes in tuberculosis and Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Glycoconj J 26, 1151–1169 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-009-9236-y