We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, have retracted the following article:
Nahideh Asadi, Nasim Annabi, Ebrahim Mostafavi, Maryam Anzabi, Rovshan Khalilov, Siamak Saghfi, Masoud Mehrizadeh & Abolfazl Akbarzadeh (2018) Synthesis, characterization and in vitro evaluation of magnetic nanoparticles modified with PCL–PEG–PCL for controlled delivery of 5FU. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 46(sup1), 938–945, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21691401.2018.1439839
Since publication, a reader alerted the Publisher that Figures 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 had been previously published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology and other journals, specifically:
Figures 2, 3, 6 and 8 appear to have been duplicated with Figures 3A, 12A, 8 and 11, respectively, from Akbarzadeh et al., 2012 (https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S24326).
Figures 3 and 6 appear to have been duplicated with Figures 9A and 7, respectively, from Akbarzadeh et al., 2012 (https://doi.org/10.2147/NSA.S24328).
Figures 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 appear to have been duplicated with Figures 7B, 6, 6B, 11 and 9, respectively, from Jahangiri & Akbarzadeh, 2015. (https://doi.org/10.3109/21691401.2015.1090443).
Figure 8 appears to have been duplicated with Figure 6 from Ebrahimi et al., 2014 (https://doi.org/10.3109/21691401.2014.944646).
Figure 8 appears to have been duplicated with Figure 7 from Ebrahimi et al., 2014 (https://doi.org/10.3109/21691401.2014.968822).
All the articles that had previously published these images shared at least one author in common with this published article. The reused images were described as originating from a new study with no reference to the previous study. We contacted the corresponding author and last author, and they acknowledged the similarities in the data published. As this error directly impacts the reported results and conclusions, the Editor and Publisher have agreed to retract the article to ensure correction of the scholarly record. The corresponding author has been informed.
We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.
The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.