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(Molecular Therapy: Oncolytics 17, June 2020; 83–93)
This article has been retracted at the request of the editor-in-chief.
A reader posted concerns regarding image duplications on a PubPeer thread: https://pubpeer.com/publications/AD93B57D1E938DDC18BC9E26C59DE4. The editorial office investigated these concerns and used image analysis to confirm the reuse of images within this article, as well as reuse of images from multiple articles mostly authored by unrelated individuals in other journals. Textual analysis also flagged this article as a potential papermill paper. The confirmed findings of the image analysis are shown below.
Parts of Figures 2F and S1C in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figures 1G and 3E, respectively, in Niu et al. (2018, Biochem. Cell Biol. 96, 752–760, https://doi.org/10.1139/bcb-2018-0047), which has also been retracted. Parts of Figures 2F and S1C in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figures 2E and 5D, respectively, in Zhou et al. (2016, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 470, 445–452, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.01.014). Parts of Figures 2F and 7E in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figures 6F and 4C, respectivey, in Qian et al. (2020, Cell Death Dis. 11, 264, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-020-2444-x). Parts of Figure 3 in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figure 6 in Lee et al. (2012, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 13, 5628–5644, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms13055628). Part of Figure 5F in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article matches Figure 5C in Zhang et al. (2019, Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi 22, 82–89, https://doi.org/10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2019.02.02). Part of Figure 5F in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article matches Figure 3A in Fang et al. (2017, Oncotarget 8, 46090–46103, https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.17552). Parts of Figure 7E in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figure 7G in Xu et al. (2012, Aging 12, 4711–4726, https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.102673). Parts of Figures S1C and S1D in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match parts of Figures 3D, 3E, and 7E in He et al. (2020, J. Cancer 11, 2679–2687, https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.40974). Parts of Figures S1E and S1C in the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article match Figures 2E and 8C, respectively, in Xi et al. (2020, Onco Targets Ther. 13, 1819–1832, https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S222898), which has also been retracted.
Within the Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics article, parts of Figures 2D, 2E, 5F, and S1D partially match other segments of Figures 5D, 5E, 5F, and S1D, respectively.
This reuse (and in part misrepresentation) of data without appropriate attribution represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. Author Y.H. responded to the retraction notice and stated that the authors will investigate these issues, but no further response was sent within 30 days.