Gastric Cancer Study Retracted Over Duplicate Figures

Pathology & Oncology Research has formally retracted a 2013 study claiming that Semaphorin 5A enhances the invasion and metastasis of human gastric cancer through the activation of MMP9. The retraction notice, published on 9 November 2026 in Volume 32 of the journal, states that the data and conclusions of the original article are deemed unreliable. The original research, authored by Pan G, Zhang X, Ren J, Lu J, Li W, Fu H, Zhang S, and Li J, was initially published in 2013 with the DOI 10.1007/s12253-012-9550-8. The decision to retract the paper was made by the Editor-in-Chief following an investigation into the integrity of the published figures.

The investigation was initiated after the authors contacted the editorial office to request corrections to specific figures in the manuscript. The authors cited improper image processing in Figure 1B and an aspect-ratio stretch in Figure 3A. This request raised immediate concerns regarding the validity of the visual data presented in the study. The editorial office subsequently launched an inquiry in accordance with the journal’s policies to verify the authenticity of the images and the underlying data.

During the review of Figure 1B, investigators identified significant irregularities in the images labeled as separate parallel samples at the 0-hour timepoint. The analysis revealed that these images contained overlapping areas, suggesting that they may not represent independent samples as described in the original text.

Further scrutiny of Figure 3A uncovered additional issues related to image integrity. Investigators found that specific image regions in this figure corresponded to parts published in a related 2013 article by an overlapping author group. The cited related article, authored by Zhang X. et al. in Digestive Diseases and Sciences (DOI 10.1007/s10620-013-2666-1), presented these same image regions as depicting a different cell line and experimental condition. This duplication across two different publications, with conflicting descriptions of the experimental context, raised serious questions about the originality of the data in the retracted paper.

The authors were asked to provide the full raw data files from the original study to substantiate their claims. During the investigation, the authors failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancies found in the figures. After the authors eventually provided raw data, the Editor-in-Chief concluded that the article’s conclusions and assertions were not sufficiently supported by the findings from the material provided. The investigation confirmed that parts of the figures in question were duplicates of pictures from another paper by the same authors, further undermining the reliability of the results.

The retraction notice explicitly states that the data and conclusions of the article have been deemed unreliable. This determination was made based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, which highlighted the duplication of images and the lack of support for the original claims.

It is noted in the retraction notice that the authors do not agree to the retraction of their paper. Despite this disagreement, the Editor-in-Chief of Pathology & Oncology Research approved the retraction.

The retraction was published on 9 November 2026, with the article received on 30 September 2026 and accepted on 28 October 2026. The notice is part of Volume 32 of Pathology & Oncology Research for the year 2026.

Subject of Research: Retraction: Semaphorin 5A, an axon guidance molecule, enhances the invasion and metastasis of human gastric cancer through activation of MMP9

Article Title: Retraction: Semaphorin 5A, an axon guidance molecule, enhances the invasion and metastasis of human gastric cancer through activation of MMP9

Article References: Pathology and Oncology Research Editorial Office (2026). Retraction: Semaphorin 5A, an axon guidance molecule, enhances the invasion and metastasis of human gastric cancer through activation of MMP9. Pathology & Oncology Research, 32, Article 1612665. https://doi.org/10.3389/pore.2026.1612665

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/pore.2026.1612665

Keywords: Retraction, Semaphorin, axon, guidance, molecule, enhances, invasion, metastasis, human, gastric, cancer, activation