Cardiovascular researcher in Taiwan logs four retractions

A researcher has earned four retractions following an investigation at his institutions in Taiwan.

The retraction notices, which appear in Clinical Science, mention investigations into the work of Kou-Gi Shyu at the Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital and Taipei Medical University (TMU).

Shyu is listed as being affiliated with both institutions in the original papers, but a TMU official told us Shyu left his teaching role at TMU amidst the probe. Shyr-Yi Lin, professor of medicine and dean of research and development at TMU, noted:

Prof. Shyu automatically gave up his professorship before conclusive decision was made from the TMU Academic Ethical Issue Committee.

Lin declined to share the TMU report into Shyu citing confidentiality, but noted that in April, 2015, the case was transferred to the academic ethical issue committee of Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, where Shyu was mainly based. Lin said:

We received the reply from Academic Ethical Issue Committee of Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital on May 20, 2015. We then held a follow up meeting of Academic Ethical Issue Committee, Taipei Medical University on Jun 1, 2015. Our committee thought [Shyu] made serious mistakes in manuscript preparations, and committed academic ethical issue.

All the retraction notices, issued on September 15, are similar. Here’s the retraction notice for “Hyperbaric oxygen activates discoidin domain receptor 2 via tumour necrosis factor-α and the p38 MAPK pathway to increase vascular smooth muscle cell migration through matrix metalloproteinase 2,” which has so far been cited 13 times since it was published in 2009, according to Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science, formerly part of Thomson Reuters:”

Following an investigation of Professor Kou-Gi Shyu by the Academic Ethical Issue Committee of Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital and by Taipei Medical University, it has been recommended that this paper along with the following other papers be retracted:

Wang, B.-W., Chang, H. and Shyu, K.-G. (2009) Regulation of resistin by cyclic mechanical stretch in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Clin. Sci. 118, 221–230, DOI:10.1042/CS20090155.

Shyu, K.-G., Lien, L.-M., Wang, B.-W., Kuan, P. and Chang, H. (2011) Resistin contributes to neointimal formation via oxidative stress after vascular injury. Clin. Sci. 120, 121–129, DOI:10.1042/CS20100226.

Shyu, K.-G., Chen, S.-C., Wang, B.-W., Cheng, W.-P. and Hung, H.-F. (2012) Mechanism of the inhibitory effect of atorvastatin on leptin expression induced by angiotensin II in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Clin. Sci. 122, 33–42, DOI:10.1042/CS20110114.

The corresponding authors of each of these papers are aware of and agree with the retraction.

Here’s the link to the retraction notice for “Regulation of resistin by cyclic mechanical stretch in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells,” which has been cited three times since publication in 2009.

And here’s the link to the retraction notice for “Resistin contributes to neointimal formation via oxidative stress after vascular injury,” which has garnered nine citations since 2011.

Finally, here’s the link to the retraction notice for “Mechanism of the inhibitory effect of atorvastatin on leptin expression induced by angiotensin II in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells,” which has accumulated 14 citations since 2012.

Clare Curtis, executive editor at Portland Press, which publishes Clinical Science, sent us this statement:

Clinical Science was alerted to a potential problem with the published record. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), we followed guidelines set out by them, and referred the matter to the relevant University/Institution. The papers have been retracted according to the recommendation of the Institutional investigation.

We’ve contacted the Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital and Shyu for further details, and will update the post with anything else we learn.

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