Medicine Report Research Articles

Retracted] miR‑22 inhibits proliferation and invasion in estrogen receptor α‑positive endometrial endometrioid carcinomas cells.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell‑cycle data shown in Fig.4A and Transwell cell migration data shown in Fig.5A were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive any reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 9: 2393‑2399, 2014; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2123].

Retracted] microRNA‑335 inhibits proliferation, cell‑cycle progression, colony formation, and invasion via targeting PAX6 in breast cancer cells.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that the cell cycle assay data shown in Fig.4A, and the western blotting assay data shown in Fig.4B, were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors; furthermore, there were other possible anomalies associated with these data. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive any reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 11: 379‑385, 2015; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2684].

Retracted] microRNA‑206 overexpression inhibits cellular proliferation and invasion of estrogen receptor α‑positive ovarian cancer cells.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the western blotting data shown in Fig.1A and Transwell cell migration data shown in Fig.4A were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive any reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 9: 1703‑1708, 2014; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2021].

Perspective: Impact of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report on the Process for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recommended steps to redesign the process of developing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are based on 5 guiding principles (enhance transparency; promote diversity of expertise and experience; support a deliberative process; manage biases and conflicts of interest; and adopt state-of-the-art processes and methods). Using these principles and recommendations, the USDA and HHS updated the process for developing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, including the process for appointing members and managing the work of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Modifications included having public comment on the topics and questions to be addressed by the Federal Advisory Committee, reviewing professional and financial activities on potential appointees to the committee prior to their appointment, redesigning the website to provide status updates on the work of the committee as analytical frameworks and draft conclusions were developed, strengthening the approaches for conducting systematic reviews, and adding a public meeting for discussion of the final report before its submission to the Secretaries of the USDA and HHS. Because the DGA is reviewed and updated every 5 y, it is possible to learn from each cycle what works well and where improvements in the process can be implemented. The current article illustrates, from the perspective of the advisory committee, the impact of the NASEM report on the development of the scientific report by examining changes in the process consistent with the 5 principles.

Health Effects of Naphthalene Exposure: A Systematic Evidence Map and Analysis of Potential Considerations for Dose-Response Evaluation.

Background:Naphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that has been associated with health effects, including cancer. As the state of the science on naphthalene toxicity continues to evolve, updated toxicity reference value(s) may be required to support human health risk assessment.Objectives:We present a systematic evidence map of studies that could be used to derive toxicity reference value(s) for naphthalene.Methods:Human and animal health effect studies and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models were identified from a literature search based on populations, exposures, comparators, and outcomes (PECO) criteria. Human and animal studies meeting PECO criteria were refined to a smaller subset considered most informative for deriving chronic reference value(s), which are preferred for assessing risk to the general public. This subset was evaluated for risk of bias and sensitivity, and the suitability of each study for dose–response analysis was qualitatively assessed. Lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) were extracted and summarized. Other potentially relevant studies (e.g., mechanistic and toxicokinetic studies) were tracked as supplemental information but not evaluated further. Existing reference values for naphthalene are also summarized.Results:We identified 26 epidemiology studies and 16 animal studies that were considered most informative for further analysis. Eleven PBPK models were identified. The available epidemiology studies generally had significant risk of bias and/or sensitivity concerns and were mostly found to have low suitability for dose–response analysis due to the nature of the exposure measurements. The animal studies had fewer risk of bias and sensitivity concerns and were mostly found to be suitable for dose–response analysis.Conclusion:Although both epidemiological and animal studies of naphthalene provide weight of evidence for hazard identification, the available animal studies appear more suitable for reference value derivation. PBPK models and mechanistic and toxicokinetic data can be applied to extrapolate these animal data to humans, considering mode of action and interspecies metabolic differences. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7381

Retracted] Upregulation of GRIM‑19 inhibits the growth and invasion of human breast cancer cells.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that the western blotting data featured in Figs. 4B and 6B (wherein there was also a duplicated set of data bands) were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles at different research institutes. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article were already under consideration for publication, or had already been published, elsewhere prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors did not reply to indicate whether or not they agreed with the retraction of the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 10.3892/mmr.2015.3757].

Retracted] Additive effects of eukaryotic co‑expression plasmid carrying GRIM‑19 and LKB1genes on breast cancer invitro and invivo.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that the western blotting data featured in Figs. 1C and 4C, and tumour images in Fig. 5A, were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors at different research institutes. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article were already under consideration for publication, or had already been published, elsewhere prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors did not reply to indicate whether or not they agreed with the retraction of the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 12: 7665‑7672, 2015; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4393].

Helicobacter pylori promotes invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by enhancing heparanase expression.

Correction to "Liu LP, Sheng XP, Shuai TK, Zhao YX, Li B, Li YM. Helicobacter pylori promotes invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by enhancing heparanase expression. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24: 4565-4577 [PMID: 30386106 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i40.4565]." In this article, we have identified some of the images in Figure 2A, C, E, G, and I are identical to the images in Figures 1B, 2A, 3B, 3E, and 3G of another paper entitled "Liu L, Zhao Y, Fan G, Shuai T, Li B, Li Y. Helicobacter pylori infection enhances heparanase leading to cell proliferation via mitogenactivated protein kinase signalling in human gastric cancer cells.", which was published by us in the Molecular Medicine Reports in December, 2018 [PMID: 30320396 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.9558]. The reason why we asked to replace the pictures was that when we were simultaneously preparing to submit our two different articles to the World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG) and Molecular Medicine Reports, we uploaded the wrong pictures to the WJG, which were same as those submitted to the Molecular Medicine Reports. We apologize for this negligence and any inconvenience that this may cause. We would be grateful if you could replace the wrong pictures with the correct ones attached.

Retracted] miR‑200b inhibits migration and invasion in non‑small cell lung cancer cells via targeting FSCN1.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the Transwell assay data shown in Figs.2C and 5C bore unexpected similarities to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that some of the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. After having been in contact with the authors, they agreed with the decision to retract the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 14: 1835‑1840, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5421].

Angelicin Alleviates Post-Trauma Osteoarthritis Progression by Regulating Macrophage Polarization via STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Post-trauma osteoarthritis (PTOA) is the most common articular disease characterized by degeneration and destruction of articular cartilage (Bultink and Lems, Curr. Rheumatol Rep., 2013, 15, 328). Inflammatory response of local joint tissue induced by trauma is the most critical factor accelerating osteoarthritis (OA) progression (Sharma et al., 2019; Osteoarthritis. Cartilage, 28, 658–668). M1/M2 macrophages polarization and repolarization participates in local inflammation, which plays a major role in the progression of OA (Zhang et al., 2018; Ann. Rheum. Dis., 77, 1524–1534). The regulating effect of macrophage polarization has been reported as a potential therapy to alleviate OA progression. Synovitis induced by polarized macrophages could profoundly affect the chondrocyte and cartilage matrix (Zhang et al., 2018; Ann. Rheum. Dis., 77, 1524–1534). Generally, anti-inflammatory medications widely used in clinical practice have serious side effects. Therefore, we focus on exploring a new therapeutic strategy with fewer side effects to alleviate the synovitis. Angelicin (ANG) is traditional medicine used in various folk medicine. Previous studies have revealed that angelicin has an inhibitory effect on inflammation (Wei et al., 2016; Inflammation, 39, 1876–1882), tumor growth (Li et al., 2016; Oncology reports, 36, 3,504–3,512; Wang et al., 2017; Molecular Medicine Reports, 16, 5441–5449), DNA damage (Li et al., 2019; Exp. Ther. Med., 18, 1899–1906), and virus proliferation (Li et al., 2018; Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 8, 178). But its specific effects on influencing the process of OA were rarely reported. In this study, the molecular mechanism of angelicin in vivo and in vitro was clearly investigated. Results showed that angelicin could regulate the M1/M2 ratio and function and alleviate the development of PTOA in the meanwhile. Bone marrow monocytes were isolated and induced by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon (IFN)-γ for M1 polarization and interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13 for M2 polarization. Subsequently, repolarization intervention was performed. The results indicate that angelicin can repolarize M1 toward M2 macrophages by upregulating the expression of CD9. Besides, angelicin can also protect and maintain M2 polarization in the presence of LPS/IFN-γ, and subsequently downregulate the expression of inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β and TNF-α. Mechanistically, angelicin can activate the p-STAT3/STAT3 pathway by conducting CD9/gp130 to repolarize toward M2 macrophages. These results suggest angelicin can alleviate the progression of OA by regulating M1/M2 polarization via the STAT3/p-STAT3 pathway. Therefore, angelicin may have a promising application and potential therapeutic value in OA clinical treatment.

Retracted] MicroRNA‑10b suppresses the migration and invasion of chondrosarcoma cells by targeting brain‑derived neurotrophic factor.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell Transwell assay data in the article (featured in Figs. 4 and 7) were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in another article by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already appeared in different form in another article prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office never received any reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 13: 441‑446, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4506].

Retracted] MicroRNA‑138 inhibits migration and invasion of non‑small cell lung cancer cells by targeting LIMK1.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the western blotting data shown in Figs. 3C and 5A were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in another article by different authors, which had already been published elsewhere at the time of the present article's submission. Furthermore, cell Transwell assay data in the article (featured in Fig. 4B) were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors, which were either already under consideration for publication or had already been published elsewhere at the time of the present article's. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article were either already under consideration for publication, or had already been published elsewhere, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office never received any reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 14: 4422‑4428, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5769].

Retracted] MicroRNA-200c inhibits the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer cells by targeting ZEB2, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulator.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell Transwell assay data in the article (featured in Figs.2C and 4C) were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors at different research institutions, which were already under consideration for publication or had already been published elsewhere at the time of the present article's submission [C. Lai etal, 'MicroRNA‑133a inhibits proliferation and invasion, and induces apoptosis in gastric carcinoma cells via targeting fascin actin‑bundling protein1', Mol Med Rep12: 1473‑1478, 2015; and Y. Shi etal, 'MicroRNA‑204 inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in osteosarcoma cells via targeting Sirtuin1', Oncol Rep34: 399‑406, 2015]. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already appeared in different form in other articles prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors did not reply to indicate whether or not they agreed with the retraction of the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 13: 3349-3355, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.4901].

Reducing Bias in Healthcare Artificial Intelligence

The groundbreaking Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, “Unequal Treatment,” 1 Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health CareSmedley BD Stith AY Nelson AR Unequal treatment: confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care. National Academies Press (US), 2003 Google Scholar exposed direct evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare delivery. Bias in healthcare was not a new phenomenon, but the many examples of deeper and more systemic issues were alarming. Unfortunately, it has taken recent socio-political events and the disproportionately negative impact of the Covid virus on communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), to bring increased attention back to these issues. The digitization of healthcare data and greater reliance on technology tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI), have been identified as a means of reducing the kinds of bias the IOM found. Unfortunately, the research on AI systems and the algorithms on which they are built are finding that in some cases, these tools may actually be making disparities worse. The perianesthesia nurse will need to be able to recognize how AI will continue to influence their practice and their role in ensuring that these kinds of technology systems equally benefit all healthcare users.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Retracted] Knockdown of PREX2a inhibits the malignant phenotype of glioma cells.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that cell invasion assay data in the article (featured in Fig. 4A) were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in another article by different authors at different research institutions, which had already been published elsewhere at the time of the present article's submission. Furthermore, flow cytometric data featured in Fig. 2D were strikingly similar to those in another previously published paper, and cell cyle data included in Fig. 3 had apparently previously published elsewhere. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already appeared in different form in other articles prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors also expressed their intention to retract the paper on the grounds that the corresponding author and several of the authors failed to confirm the approval of the final version of the manuscript. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published on Molecular Medicine Reports 13: 2301‑2307, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.4799].

Retracted] MicroRNA‑133a inhibits proliferation and invasion, and induces apoptosis in gastric carcinoma cells via targeting fascin actin‑bundling protein1.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the flow cytometric data in the article (featured in Fig. 4B) were strikingly similar to data that had appeared in different form in another article by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already appeared in different form in another article prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. After having been in contact with the authors, they agreed with the decision to retract the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published on Molecular Medicine Reports 34: 1473‑1478, 2015; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3545].

GAMOS/GEANT4 simulation and comparison study of X-ray narrow-spectrum series at the national Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory of Morocco

This study aimed to simulate the X-ray Irradiator narrow-spectrum series and compare the results with experimental and recommended values in ISO standards. X-Ray beam qualities of N-40 to N-300 were established experimentally at the national Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) of Morocco in purpose of calibrating radiation protection- level. The variations between the first half-value layer (1st HVL) and the second (2nd HVL) for experimental were within 5%. Also, homogeneity coefficients h were mostly between 0.75 and 1 according to ISO. GAMOS Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the radiation quality of narrow-spectrum series between N-40 to N-150. All 1st HVL, 2nd HVL, and h simulation values were compare with experimental and ISO values. In MC codes and GAMOS, there is no direct way to generate the X-ray spectrum if we do not have details of the X-ray tube geometry, dimensions and materials. Therefore, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine report number 78 was used to generate the X-ray spectrums in purpose to test this method accuracy. The simulation results for the 1st HVL and 2nd HVL showed a good agreement with experimental data and with ISO 4037–1:1996 given values. Also, the comparison results showed that most of the homogeneity coefficients are within the ISO standard range.

Corrigendum] Beneficial effects of sulfonamide‑based gallates on osteoblasts in vitro

Following the publication of the above article, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that three figures in their paper (namely Figs.2, 4 and 5) appeared to feature panels containing overlapping data. The authors re‑examined their original data, and realized that they had made inadvertent errors in the compilation of the data in these figures; specifically, the data shown in the panels for Fig.2G, Fig.4C, D and I, and Fig.5E and I had been selected incorrectly. The corrected versions of Figs.2, 4 and 5 are shown below and on the next page. All the authors approve of this corrigendum, and are grateful of the Editor of Molecular Medicine Reports for granting them the opportunity to publish this corrigendum. Furthermore, they regret that these errors were introduced into the paper, even though they did not substantially alter any of the major conclusions reported in the paper, and apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 15:1149‑1156, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.6142].

Retracted] Invitro antitumor activity of the ethyl acetate extract Potentillachinensis in osteosarcoma cancer cells.

Following the publication of the above paper, a concerned reader drew to the Editor's attention that several figures bore striking similarities to other papers that were published at around the same time written by different authors based in different research institutions. Fig.3 (in colour) was essentially the same as a greyscale figure (Fig.4) in a paper published in Oncology Reports, which has now been retracted [WanG, TaoJ‑G, Wang G‑D, Liu S‑P, Zhao H‑X and LiangQ‑D: 3‑β‑Εrythrodiol isolated from Conyza canadensis inhibits MKN‑45 human gastric cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, DNA fragmentation, ROS generation and reduces tumor weight and volume in mouse xenograft mode. Oncol Rep35: 2328‑2338, 2016]. Furthermore, Figs.5 and6 in the above paper appeared to share data with Figs.7 and11, respectively, in a paper published in Phytomedicine [Sui C‑G, Meng F‑D and JiangY‑h: Antiproliferative activity of rosamultic acid is associated with induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cell migration and caspase activation in human gastric cancer (SGC‑7901)cells. Phyomedicine22: 796‑806, 2015]. After having conducted an independent investigation in the Editorial Office, the Editor of Molecular Medicine Reports has determined that the above paper should be retracted from the Journal on account of a lack of confidence concerning the originality and the authenticity of the data. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office never received any reply. The Editor regrets any inconvenience that has been caused to the readership of the Journal. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports14: 3634‑3640, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5679].