Erythrocyte Membrane-Enveloped Salvianolic Acid B Nanoparticles Attenuate Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury [Retraction]

Zhang S, Li R, Zheng Y, Zhou Y, Fan X. Int J Nanomedicine. 2022;17:3561‒3577.

The Editor and Publisher of International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised following the authors request to correct some duplicated images in Figure 8. It was found several other images has also been duplicated which the authors were not aware of. Specifically,

• Figure 6G, Cortex, panel SAB solution, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 6G, DG, panel SAB solution.
• Figure 6G, Cortex, panel Sham, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 8, Brain, panel Saline.
• Figure 7C, DAPI, panel SAB solution, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 7C, DAPI, panel R@SABNPs.
• Figure 8, Liver, panel Saline, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 8, Liver, panel RR@SABNPs.
• Figure 8, Spleen, panel Saline, appears to have been duplicated with the same images from Figure 8, Spleen, panels SAB solution and RR@SABNPs.
• Figure 8, Lung, panel SAB solution, appears to have been duplicated with the same image from Figure 8, Lung, panel RR@SABNPs.
• Figure 8, Kidney, panel Saline, appears to have been duplicated with the same images from Figure 8, Kidney, panels SAB solution and RR@SABNPs.

The authors explained that the duplications may have occurred due to errors in sample labelling. Also, the Cortex and DG, SAB solution images in Figure 6G were taken from the same sample, and Figure 6G, Cortex, panel Sham was taken from the same as Figure 8, Brain, panel Saline. However, given the number of duplicated images this was not a satisfactory explanation. In addition, the authors were unable to provide adequate original data that would confirm the reliability of the reported findings. The Editor requested for the article to be retracted and the authors were notified of this.

We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.

The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.