RETRACTION: Study of the Mechanisms of Crocetin-Induced Differentiation and Apoptosis in Human Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells

RETRACTION: M. Moradzadeh, A. Ghorbani, S. Erfanian, et al., “Study of the Mechanisms of Crocetin-Induced Differentiation and Apoptosis in Human Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells,” Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 120, no. 2 (2019): 1943–1957, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.27489.

The above article, published online on September 11, 2018 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor-in-Chief, Christian Behl; and Wiley Periodicals LLC. The retraction has been agreed upon following an investigation into concerns raised by a third party. The investigation revealed that the two panels, Crocetin 100 µM—NB4 cells and Crocetin 100 µM—HL60 cells, presented in Figure 4a, are identical. Furthermore, the flow cytometry plots showing ATRA 10 µM—Primary APL cells and Crocetin 100 µM—Primary APL cells in Figure 4b have been published in another article, representing different experimental conditions. Additionally, panels in Figure 6a showing Control Primary APL cells and ATRA 1 µM Primary APL cells, as well as β-actin bands and Acetyl-H3K4 bands in Figure 8c, have been found duplicated in another article. The manuscripts with these duplicates were co-authored by one of the co-authors of this article. The authors collaborated with the investigation and provided some supporting data, but this was deemed insufficient. Consequently, the editors consider the results and conclusions of this article to be unreliable. The author, H. R. Sadeghnia, agrees that a retraction is the appropriate and responsible course of action.