Editorial Note: In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity of \[Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)\] in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Editorial Note: In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, by PLOS One Editors (PloS One, 2026).

The study

• Author: PLOS One Editors
• Journal: PloS One
• Published: 2026;21(7):e0353915
• Type of article: Comment, Editorial
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

In plain English

This item was an editorial note from the PLOS One editors, not a research study. It concerned a 2016 PLOS One article by Muscella and colleagues on the antitumor activity of a platinum compound, [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)], in malignant pleural mesothelioma. The note did not report that study's methods or findings. It stated that, after publication, concerns were raised about Figures 2 to 5. Some image panels appeared to overlap with one another or with a 2017 article by the same research group, and some appeared to contain overlapping regions within the same panel. The corresponding author provided the original underlying images. The author also stated that one panel in Figure 5A had been intentionally reused in Figure 4A of the 2017 article, because both came from the same time-course experiment in ZL55 cells. After reviewing the original images, the editors considered all the concerns resolved. The note also stated that the original raw data had not been provided with the article, contrary to its Data Availability statement. The authors then supplied the data, and the editors stated that all relevant data were now provided.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: editorial note (a correction-type notice from the journal editors, not a research study)
• Who was studied: The note concerns one published article: Muscella and colleagues' 2016 PLOS One article on a platinum compound in malignant pleural mesothelioma, specifically its Figures 2 to 5
• Exposure: Not an exposure study. The underlying article concerned treatment of mesothelioma cells (ZL55 cells are named) with the platinum complex. No asbestos exposure is discussed in the note.
• Main results:
  • Some panels in Figures 3 to 5 appeared to overlap with one another and/or with a later article published by the same research group
  • Some panels in Figures 2, 3 and 5 appeared to contain overlapping regions within the same panel
  • The corresponding author provided the original underlying images. The author stated that the p38MAPK panel in Figure 5A was intentionally reused in Figure 4A of the 2017 article, because both came from the same time-course experiment.
  • After editorial review of the original images, PLOS considered all the image concerns resolved
  • Contrary to the Data Availability statement, the original raw data had not been provided with the article. The authors later supplied them, and the editors stated that all relevant data are now provided.
• The authors' conclusion: The editors concluded that the image concerns were resolved and that, with this notice, all relevant data are now provided

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Pleural Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma — A. Muscella, C. Vetrugno, et al. (2016)
• Editorial Note: Apoptosis by [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] requires PKC-δ mediated p53 activation in malignant pleural mesothelioma — PLOS One Editors (2026)
• Antitumor activity of MEK and PI3K inhibitors against malignant pleural mesothelioma cells in vitro and in vivo — S. Miyoshi, H. Hamada, et al. (2012)
• Antitumor activity of anti-C-ERC/mesothelin monoclonal antibody in vivo — K. Inami, M. Abe, et al. (2010)
• Withaferin A inhibits the proteasome activity in mesothelioma in vitro and in vivo — H. Yang, Y. Wang, et al. (2012)
• Curcumin C3 complex®/Bioperine® has antineoplastic activity in mesothelioma: an in vitro and in vivo analysis — F. Di Meo, S. Filosa, et al. (2019)

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