PLOS ONE has retracted 15 research articles and issued expressions of concern in early February 2026.
The retracted papers span multiple disciplines and countries. The common reasons include compromised peer review, unreliable data, image duplication, plagiarism, citation of retracted work, and ethical compliance issues.
Agriculture, cancer research, artificial intelligence, economics, and environmental science studies are among those retracted.
List of Papers retracted
1. Assessing the potential of exogenous caffeic acid application in boosting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop productivity under salt stress
Original Publication: 2 November 2021
Retraction Date: 18 February 2026
Country: Pakistan
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Concerns about peer review process
- Investigation by journal and third party
- Rogue editor involvement
2. Identification of Nitric Oxide as an Endogenous Inhibitor of 26S Proteasomes in Vascular Endothelial Cells
Original Publication: 22 May 2014
Retraction Date: 17 February 2026
Country: United States
Retraction Details:
- Image falsification/fabrication
- Institutional investigation
- Original data/images not provided
- Authors objected
3. A deep facial recognition system using computational intelligent algorithms
Original Publication: 3 December 2020
Retraction Date: 12 February 2026
Country: Egypt
Retraction Details:
- Author unresponsive
- Computer-generated content concerns
- Data issues
- Text duplication and plagiarism
- Referencing concerns
4. Digital financial inclusion, population structure, and consumption upgrades: Evidence from China
Original Publication: 22 January 2025
Notice Date: 12 February 2026
Country: China
Nature of Notice: Expression of Concern
Details:
- Cited retracted work
- Referencing issues
5. Molecular mechanism of inhibitory effects of melatonin on prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion
Original Publication: 21 January 2022
Retraction Date: 12 February 2026
Country: China
Retraction Details:
- Image duplication
- Missing original data
- Data and methodological concerns
- Unreliable results
6. Targeting NLRP3 and AIM2 signaling pathways by Viscosol alleviates metabolic dysregulations induced inflammatory responses in diabetic neuro- and nephropathy: An in silico and in vivo study
Original Publication: 2 April 2025
Notice Date: 12 February 2026
Countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
Nature of Notice: Expression of Concern (Updated)
Details:
- Cited retracted work
- Authorship concerns
- Investigation by journal
7. A 12,800-year-old layer with cometary dust, microspherules, and platinum anomaly recorded in multiple cores from Baffin Bay
Original Publication: 6 August 2025
Retraction Date: 11 February 2026
Countries: USA, Czech Republic, Russia, UK, Australia
Retraction Details:
- Data concerns
- Methodological errors
- Referencing problems
- Computer-aided content concerns
- Third-party investigation
- Unreliable conclusions
8. Shocked quartz at the Younger Dryas onset (12.8 ka) supports cosmic airbursts/impacts contributing to North American megafaunal extinctions and collapse of the Clovis technocomplex
Original Publication: 10 September 2025
Retraction Date: 11 February 2026
Countries: United States, Czech Republic
Retraction Details:
- Data and method concerns
- Referencing issues
- Third-party investigation
- Unreliable results
- Authors objected
9. N-Beats architecture for explainable forecasting of multi-dimensional poultry data
Journal: PLOS ONE
Original Publication: 24 April 2025
Retraction Date: 9 February 2026
Countries: Croatia, India, Lebanon, Thailand
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Investigation by journal
- Unreliable conclusions
- Authors objected
10. Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1) Promotes Ovarian Cancer Metastasis by Inducing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
Original Publication: 30 November 2015
Retraction Date: 9 February 2026
Countries: China, Canada
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Cell line contamination
- Image and data duplication
- Third-party investigation
- Unreliable conclusions
11. Boosting happiness in left-behind children: Unveiling the power of physical activity through cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience
Original Publication: 3 October 2024
Retraction Date: 6 February 2026
Country: China
Retraction Details:
- Lack of IRB approval
- Analytical errors
- Methodological concerns
- Unreliable conclusions
12. Enhanced E-commerce decision-making through sentiment analysis using machine learning-based approaches and IoT
Original Publication: 30 June 2025
Retraction Date: 5 February 2026
Countries: Greece, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Investigation by journal
- Authors objected
- Unreliable results
13. Skin cancer segmentation and classification by implementing a hybrid FrCN-(U-NeT) technique with machine learning
Original Publication: 2 June 2025
Retraction Date: 5 February 2026
Countries: Croatia, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Thailand
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Investigation by journal
- Unreliable conclusions
- Authors objected
14. Unpacking the optimistic mindset of business students towards entrepreneurship
Journal: PLOS ONE
Original Publication: 15 February 2024
Retraction Date: 5 February 2026
Countries: Pakistan, China
Retraction Details:
- Breach of policy
- Citation of retracted work
- Data and method concerns
- Third-party investigation
- Unreliable conclusions
15. Interpretable machine learning framework for predicting Urban air quality
Original Publication: 7 November 2025
Retraction Date: 4 February 2026
Countries: China, Jordan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
Retraction Details:
- Compromised peer review
- Computer-generated content concerns
- Methodological issues
- Investigation by journal
- Unreliable results