Molecular Therapy withdrew this in-press article in January 2022 after investigating concerns of image duplication raised by an editor. At the editors’ request, the reasons for the withdrawal are being shared below.
The initial withdrawal was based on evidence for image duplication in identical or altered fashion in Figures 2A, 3C, and 4B within the Molecular Therapy article.
Since the publication of the withdrawal, additional findings have come to light. These findings include the following:
Reuse of images published in Figures 2B, 3C, and 4C of “CDK5RAP3 as tumour suppressor negatively regulates self-renewal and invasion and is regulated by ERK1/2 signalling in human gastric cancer” (Lin et al., 2020, Br. J. Cancer 123, 1131–1144, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-020-0963-y) in Figures 3F and 4B of the Molecular Therapy article.
Reuse of images published in Figures 2A and 3E of “PIK3R3, part of the regulatory domain of PI3K, is upregulated in sarcoma stem-like cells and promotes invasion, migration, and chemotherapy resistance” (Yoon et al., 2021, Cell Death Dis. 12, 749, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04036-5) in Figures 4B and 6A of the Molecular Therapy paper.
This reuse (and in part, misrepresentation) of data without appropriate attribution represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system.