RETRACTED ARTICLE: Let-7c-5p Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Migration and Promotes Apoptosis via the CTHRC1/AKT/ERK Pathway in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This paper has been retracted.

Zheng Y, Luo M, Lü M, et al. Onco Targets Ther. 2020;13:11193–11209.

At the author’s request, we, the Editors and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy, have retracted the following article.

Concerns were raised about the integrity of the data in the article following the author’s request to make a correction. It was found images from several figures within the article had been duplicated. Specifically,

• The flow cytometry images for Figure 3A, TE-1, mimics-NC and let-7c-5p mimics, have been duplicated with the images for Figure 3A, KYSE150, mimics-NC and let-7c-5p mimics, respectively.
• The flow cytometry images for Figure 3C, TE-1, inhibitor-NC and let-7c-5p inhibitor, have been duplicated with the images for Figure 3C, KYSE150, inhibitor-NC and let-7c-5p inhibitor, respectively.
• The images for Figure 4A, TE-1, mimics-NC, 0h, and let-7c-5p mimics, 0h, have overlap with the images for Figure 4A, KYSE150, mimics-NC, 0h and let-7c-5p mimics, 0h, respectively.
• The images for Figure 4A, TE-1, mimics-NC, 24h, and let-7c-5p mimics, 24h, have overlap with the images for Figure 4A, KYSE150, mimics-NC, 24h and let-7c-5p mimics, 24h, respectively.
• The western blot image for Figure 7A, TE-1, p-ERK, has been duplicated with the image for Figure 7A, KYSE150, p-ERK.
• The western blot image for Figure 7A, KYSE150, ERK, has been duplicated with the image for Figure 7C, KYSE150, ERK.

When approached for an explanation, the authors were cooperative and provided data for their study. However, the provided data did not satisfactorily explain how the duplication of these images occurred and was unable to alleviate the journal’s concerns regarding the validity of the findings. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, the authors requested to retract the article and editor and Publisher agreed with 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The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.