MicroRNA-503 Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Targeting PDK1/PI3K/AKT Pathway [Retraction]

Wei Y, Liao Y, Deng Y, Zu Y, Zhao B, Li F. Onco Targets Ther. 2019;12:9005–9016.

We, the Editors and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy, have retracted the following article.

Following publication of the article, concerns were raised about the duplication of images from Figures 2, 5 and 7 with images from other unrelated articles. Specifically,

• The image for Figure 2B, PC9, NC inhibitor, has been duplicated with the image for Figure 2D, PANC1, Solasodine 10µg/mL, from Fan Y, Li Z, Wu L, et al. Solasodine, Isolated from Solanum sisymbriifolium Fruits, Has a Potent Anti-Tumor Activity Against Pancreatic Cancer. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021;15:1509–1519. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S266746.
• Images for Figure 3A have been duplicated with images for Figure 4D from Wang M, Yu R, Ling X, et al. COPB2 promotes metastasis and inhibits apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells through functioning as a target of miR-216a-3p JF. Translational Cancer Research. 2020; 9(4): 2648–2659. https://doi.org/10.21037/tcr.2020.02.65 and Figure 5B from Jia Yy, Yu Y, Li HJ. POSTN promotes proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in renal cell carcinoma through ILK/AKT/mTOR pathway. J Cancer. 2021;12(14):4183–4195. https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.51253.
• The image for Figure 5C, A549, miR-503+PDK1, has been duplicated with the image for Figure 3C, NB4 cell, inhibitors, from Wang D, Chen J, Ding Y, et al. miR-188-5p Promotes Tumor Growth by Targeting CD2AP Through PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling in Children with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Onco Targets Ther. 2020;13:6681–6697. https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S244813.

The authors did not respond to our queries and were unable to provide an explanation for the duplicated images or provide data for the study. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article and the authors were notified of this.

We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines.

The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.