Category Archives: cancer biology
Researcher who once tried to sue critics has another dozen papers retracted
A cancer researcher who went to court — unsuccessfully — claiming that commenters on PubPeer had cost him a new job has just lost another 12 papers. The twelve now-retracted papers by Fazlul Sarkar and colleagues — as well as another by Sarkar that is now subject to an editor’s note — all appeared in … Continue reading Researcher who once tried to sue critics has another dozen papers retracted
Cancer journals retract 10 papers, flag 8 more, and apologize for the delay
Five journals published by a prominent cancer research society have retracted a total of 10 papers — most of them by a former researcher at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Nine of the 10 retractions share that researcher, Bharat Aggarwal, as an author. Aggarwal — who more than five years ago threatened to sue … Continue reading Cancer journals retract 10 papers, flag 8 more, and apologize for the delay
A 2015 PNAS paper is six pages long. Its correction is four pages long.
Sometimes, corrections are so extensive, they can only be called one thing: Mega-corrections. Recently, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) issued a four-page correction notice to a paper about a compound that appeared to reduce the chances a cancer will recur. The notice describes figure duplication, problems with error bars and figure … Continue reading A 2015 PNAS paper is six pages long. Its correction is four pages long.
Posted by in cancer biology, investigator error, mega-corrections, PNAS
Nature cancer paper that raised animal welfare concerns is retracted
When Nature published a paper in 2011 describing a compound extracted from a pepper plant that appeared to kill cancer cells but leave healthy cells unscathed, it got some attention. Of course, the news caught the media’s eye, but also that of other researchers, who have since jumped on the concept, and continued to study … Continue reading Nature cancer paper that raised animal welfare concerns is retracted
Posted by in cancer biology, freely available, nature retractions
A misconduct probe — which led to 20 retraction requests — took four years. Why?
A probe into the work of a researcher who studied natural products for cancer had many stops and starts along the way — including five extensions granted by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity — according to documents obtained by Retraction Watch. Following a public records request, we recently obtained a copy of the report … Continue reading A misconduct probe — which led to 20 retraction requests — took four years. Why?
Posted by in cancer biology, misconduct investigations, united states
How much cancer stems from diabetes, obesity? Lancet journal swaps high-profile paper
Six months ago, the media was ablaze with the findings of a new paper, showing that nearly six percent of cancer cases are caused, at least in part, by obesity and diabetes. But this week, the journal retracted that paper — and replaced it with a revised version. The new paper doesn’t change the main … Continue reading How much cancer stems from diabetes, obesity? Lancet journal swaps high-profile paper
A cancer researcher said she collected blood from 98 people. It was all her own.
A researcher collected her own blood and forged the labels so it would appear to be samples from nearly 100 people, according to a new finding of research misconduct released today by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI). The former researcher at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center swapped her own blood … Continue reading A cancer researcher said she collected blood from 98 people. It was all her own.
Posted by in cancer biology, faked data, misconduct investigations, united states
Caught Our Notice: Researcher who once threatened to sue Retraction Watch now up to 19 retractions
Title: Curcumin-Free Turmeric Exhibits Activity against Human HCT-116 Colon Tumor Xenograft: Comparison with Curcumin and Whole Turmeric What Caught Our Attention: We haven’t heard much about Bharat Aggarwal since his seven retractions in 2016 propelled him onto our leaderboard (and long after he threatened to sue Retraction Watch for our reporting). There was a whisper … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: Researcher who once threatened to sue Retraction Watch now up to 19 retractions
Caught Our Notice: Researcher who sued PubPeer commenter up to 21 retractions
Titles: 1) Notch-1 induces Epithelial-mesenchymal transition consistent with cancer stem cell phenotype in pancreatic cancer cells 2) Sensitization of squamous cell carcinoma to cisplatin induced killing by natural agents What Caught Our Attention: Regular readers will be familiar with the saga involving Fazlul Sarkar and PubPeer: In 2014, Sarkar sued anonymous commenters on the site, claiming … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: Researcher who sued PubPeer commenter up to 21 retractions
Figures in cancer paper at root of newly failed compound called into question
How much role did a potentially problematic paper play in the demise of a once-promising compound? Researchers are questioning the validity of a high-profile article, published by Nature in 2006. Although the letter is 12 years old, the concerns have current implications: It was among the early evidence used to develop a cancer compound that … Continue reading Figures in cancer paper at root of newly failed compound called into question
Posted by in cancer biology, nature publishing group, nature retractions, united states