Li Y, Chen G, Han Z, Cheng H, Qiao L, Li Y. Onco Targets Ther. 2020;13:9721-9730.
The Editor and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapy wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the alleged duplication of western blot images in Figure 4. Specifically,
Western blot band Figure 4C, IL-6R, Ctrl appears to have been duplicated with western blot band Figure 4E, VEGF, PBS, which has been flipped.
The authors responded to our queries and provided several files. However, the authors were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the alleged duplication, nor could they provide satisfactory original western blot data that would support the integrity of their research. The decision was made to retract the article 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The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.