Abstract
Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the flow cytometric assay data shown for the cell invasion assays in Figs. 2C, 4C and 5D, and the tumour images shown in Fig. 6A, were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors. Moreover, it appeared as if certain of the same data may have reappeared on more than one occasion in the flow cytometric plots shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. 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 International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 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 a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Molecular Medicine 45: 597‑606, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4429].