Benzimidazole Derivatives as New Potential NLRP3 Inflammasome Inhibitors That Provide Neuroprotection in a Rodent Model of Neurodegeneration and Memory Impairment [Retraction]

Ullah A, Al Kury LT, Althobaiti YS, Ali T, Shah FA. J Inflamm Res. 2022;15:3873–3890.

The Editor and Publisher of the Journal of Inflammation Research wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the alleged duplication of images in Figures 8 and 10 with similar images from Naz et al, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S357082). Specifically,

• Figure 8E, Hippocampus, Ethanol + DNP, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 4E, Hippocampus, P9 from Naz et al, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S357082).
• Figure 10B, p-NF-κB, Hippocampus, Saline, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 10B, p-NF-κB, Hippocampus, Ethanol + DNP.
• Figure 10D, TNF-α, Hippocampus, Ethanol, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 10F, COX-2, Hippocampus, Ethanol.
• Figure 10D, TNF-α, Hippocampus, Ethanol + Cb, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 6B, TNF-α, Hippocampus, P8 from Naz et al, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S357082).
• Figure 10F, COX-2, Hippocampus, Ethanol + DNP, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 6C, p-NF-κB, Hippocampus, P8 from Naz et al, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S357082).

The authors responded to our queries but were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the duplicated images. The Editor requested for the article to be retracted and the authors were notified of this.

Our decision-making was informed by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retraction.

The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.