miR-141-3p is a Key Negative Regulator of the EGFR Pathway in Osteosarcoma [Retraction]

Wang J, Wang G, Li B, Qiu C, He M. Onco Targets Ther. 2018;11:4461–4478.

We, the Editor and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy are retracting the published article. Since publication, concerns have been raised about the duplication of images in this article with those from other unrelated articles. Specifically,

• Western blot bands for Figure 1A, GAPDH, bottom row, appear to have been duplicated with the image from Figure 5A, GAPDH, pairs 1 to 5 from Wang G, Song Y, Liu T, et al. PAK1-mediated MORC2 phosphorylation promotes gastric tumorigenesis. Oncotarget. 2015;6:9877–9886. https://www.oncotarget.com/article/3185/text/.
• Western blot bands for Figure 1G, EGFR and GAPDH, appear to have been duplicated with the images from Figure 4C, bcl-2, from Zhao Z, Gao D, Ma T, Zhang L. MicroRNA-141 suppresses growth and metastatic potential of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11:921–932. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101791 and Figure 5B, GAPDH, from Chen J, Yan C, Yu H, Zhen S, Yuan Q. miR-548d-3p inhibits osteosarcoma by downregulating KRAS. Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11:5058–5069. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102097, respectively.
• Western blot bands for Figure 4G, Caspase9, appear to have been duplicated with the image from Figure 3G, HOS, GADPH, from He M, Shen P, Qiu C, Wang J. miR-627-3p inhibits osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting PTN. Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11:5744–5756. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102157.
• Westerns blot bands from Figure 6E, Akt, Bcl-2 and MMP2, appear to have been duplicated with the images from Figure 4A, U2OS, STAT3, from Ji XL, He M. Sodium cantharidate targets STAT3 and abrogates EGFR inhibitor resistance in osteosarcoma. Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11:5848–5863. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102193; Figure 1J, PTEN, from He M, Jiang L, Li B, Wang G, Wang J, Fu Y. Oxymatrine suppresses the growth and invasion of MG63 cells by up-regulating PTEN and promoting its nuclear translocation. Oncotarget. 2017;8:65100–65110. https://www.oncotarget.com/article/17783/text/ and Figure 2F, vimtenin, from Zhang Q, Guo B, Hui Q, Chang P, Tao K. miR-137 Inhibits Proliferation and Metastasis of Hypertrophic Scar Fibroblasts via Targeting Pleiotrophin. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 2018;49(3):1026–1036. https://doi.org/10.1159/000493236, respectively.
• Flow cytometry images from Figures 4C, 4D and 6C appear to have been duplicated with images from Figures 2A and 2B from Song Y, Guo B, Ma S, Chang P, Tao K. Naringin suppresses the growth and motility of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts by inhibiting the kinase activity of Akt. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018;105:1291–1298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.06.103; Figure 2F from Ming H, Chuang Q, Jiashi W, Bin L, Guangbin W, Xianglu J. Naringin targets Zeb1 to suppress osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis. Aging (Albany NY). 2018;10:4141–4151. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101710 and Figure 4B from Zhao Z, Gao D, Ma T, Zhang L. MicroRNA-141 suppresses growth and metastatic potential of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11:921–932. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101791.

When approached for an explanation, the authors have been unable to address the concerns raised and have not been able to provide sufficient original data from their study. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article. The authors listed in this publication have been informed and agree with this decision.

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

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