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Iran J Pharm Res

Image Credit:Iran J Pharm Res

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https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpr-165191

Expression of Concern for Ethyl Acetate Extract of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Enhances Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells [Iran J Pharm Res.17(3):e124804]

Author(s):
Editor-in-Chief IJPREditor-in-Chief IJPR1,*
1School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
IJ Pharmaceutical Research:Vol. 24, issue 1; e165191
Published online:Aug 05, 2025
Article type:Expressions of Concern
Received:Aug 05, 2025
Accepted:Aug 05, 2025
This is an expression of concern about the following article: Ethyl Acetate Extract of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Enhances Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
How to Cite:IJPR E. Expression of Concern for Ethyl Acetate Extract of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Enhances Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells [Iran J Pharm Res.17(3):e124804]. Iran J Pharm Res. 2025;24(1):e165191. doi: https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpr-165191

The Editors of the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (IJPR) have been made aware of concerns regarding the integrity of certain images presented in the article Ethyl Acetate Extract of Licorice Root Enhances Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (1). Comments posted on the post-publication peer review platform PubPeer have highlighted potential image duplication or overlap between figures in this article and figures published in other unrelated publications. The concerns include similarities between:
- Paper 1: Molecular Biology Reports (2024), Figure 2D (PMID 38270663) (2)
- Paper 2: Cell Journal (2016), Figure 2A (PMID 27540522) (3)
- Paper 3: International Journal of Organ Transplantation Medicine (2014), Figure 4B (PMID 25013621) (4)
- Paper 4: Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (2018), Figure 3C (PMID 30127828) (1)
Additionally, a separate PubPeer comment suggests that Figure 3B in this article appears to be identical or highly similar to Figure 3B in another publication by Soleimani et al. (2012) (5).
Given these concerns, the editorial office has initiated an investigation in accordance with the journal’s ethical guidelines and COPE recommendations. While this process is ongoing, readers are advised to interpret the findings of this article with caution (1).
We will provide an update once the investigation has concluded and further information becomes available.
Editorial Office
Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (IJPR)
Date: 1 Aug 2025

References

  • 1.
    Azizsoltani A, Piri K, Behzad S, Soleimani M, Nekouei M, Mahmoudi Z, et al. Ethyl Acetate Extract of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Enhances Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Iran J Pharm Res. 2017;17(3). [PubMed ID: 30127828]. [PubMed Central ID: PMC6094414].
  • 2.
    Soleimani A, Oraee Yazdani S, Pedram M, Saadinam F, Rasaee MJ, Soleimani M. Intrathecal injection of human placental mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes significantly improves functional recovery in spinal cord injured rats. Mol Biol Rep. 2024;51(1). [PubMed ID: 38270663]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-023-08972-7.
  • 3.
    Allameh A, Jazayeri M, Adelipour M. In Vivo Vascularization of Endothelial Cells Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in SCID Mouse Model. Cell J. 2016;18(2):179-88. [PubMed ID: 27540522]. [PubMed Central ID: PMC4988416]. https://doi.org/10.22074/cellj.2016.4312.
  • 4.
    Ayatollahi M, Geramizadeh B, Zakerinia M, Ramzi M, Yaghobi R, Hadadi P, et al. Human Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell: A Source for Cell-Based Therapy. Int J Organ Transplant Med. 2012;3(1):32-41. [PubMed ID: 25013621]. [PubMed Central ID: PMC4089277].
  • 5.
    PubPeer. Discussion of duplicated figure from Soleimani et al., 2012. PubPeer; 2025. Available from: https://pubpeer.com/publications/32153F120F9C7740DD2DACD6B5EF56.

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