Frontiers in Medicine has formally retracted a 2020 research article that claimed a specific molecular mechanism by which bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes promote fracture healing in mice. The retraction notice, published on 30 October 2026, states that concerns were raised after publication regarding the integrity of images in the published figures, and that the authors failed to provide raw data or a satisfactory explanation during an investigation conducted under the journal’s policies.
The retracted paper, authored by Jiang Y, Zhang J, Li Z and Jia G, was originally published on 7 December 2020 in Frontiers in Medicine under the title “Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomal miR-25 Regulates the Ubiquitination and Degradation of Runx2 by SMURF1 to Promote Fracture Healing in Mice.” It carried the DOI 10.3389/fmed.2020.577578 and appeared in volume 7 of the journal. The retraction notice, issued by the Frontiers Editorial Office, is registered under DOI 10.3389/fmed.2026.2023218 in volume 13.
According to the notice, the journal retracts the December 2020 article because, given the concerns about the validity of the data and the lack of raw data, the editors no longer have confidence in the findings presented. The statement makes clear that the retraction followed an investigation conducted in accordance with Frontiers’ policies, during which the authors were unable to supply the underlying raw data or an explanation that satisfied the editors.
The retracted study had described a molecular pathway in which exosomes — tiny membrane-bound vesicles released by cells — derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells carried the microRNA miR-25. The paper claimed that this miR-25 regulated the ubiquitination and degradation of Runx2, a transcription factor central to bone formation, through the action of SMURF1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, thereby promoting fracture healing in mice. Those findings can no longer be relied upon, as the journal has withdrawn the article from the scientific record.
The retraction was approved by the Chief Editors of Frontiers in Medicine and the Chief Executive Editor of Frontiers. The notice records that the authors received a communication regarding the retraction and had an opportunity to respond, and that this communication has been recorded by the publisher. The retraction notice itself was received and accepted on 9 October 2026 and published on 30 October 2026, and it falls within the journal’s Gene and Cell Therapy section.
Frontiers also acknowledged the role of the wider research community in surfacing the problem. The notice states that the publisher would like to thank users on PubPeer — an online platform where researchers can comment on and question published papers — for bringing the published article to the journal’s attention.
In this case, the journal’s stated reason for retracting rests on two linked points: concerns raised about the integrity of the images in the published figures, and the absence of raw data that could have addressed those concerns. Without the original data, the editors concluded that confidence in the findings could not be maintained.
The retraction does not represent a refutation of the biological hypothesis by new experiments; rather, it removes the 2020 article from the body of citable evidence because its data can no longer be trusted. Readers encountering the original paper, which remains accessible in some archives with a retraction watermark, should treat its conclusions about miR-25, Runx2, SMURF1 and fracture healing in mice as retracted. The notice directs readers to the original article and records the full citation chain between the two documents.
Correspondence regarding the retraction is handled by the Frontiers Editorial Office, and the notice is published as an open-access article under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Subject of Research: Retraction of a mouse study on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal miR-25 and fracture healing
Article Title: Retraction: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal miR-25 Regulates the ubiquitination and degradation of Runx2 by SMURF1 to promote fracture healing in mice
Article References: Frontiers Editorial Office (2026). Retraction: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomal miR-25 Regulates the ubiquitination and degradation of Runx2 by SMURF1 to promote fracture healing in mice. Frontiers in Medicine, 13, Article 2023218. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.2023218
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2026.2023218
Keywords: retraction, Frontiers in Medicine, mesenchymal stem cells, exosomes, miR-25, Runx2, SMURF1, fracture healing, research integrity, image manipulation, PubPeer, mice
News Source: Drew Townsend. (October 30, 2026). Stem Cell Exosome Fracture Healing Study Retracted Over Image Integrity Concerns. Scienmag.
