Retraction appears for Italian cancer specialist facing criminal investigation

jci nov 13The first retraction has appeared for Alfred Fusco, a leading cancer researcher in Italy under criminal investigation for fraud.

Here’s the notice from the Journal of Clinical Investigation:

High-mobility group A1 inhibits p53 by cytoplasmic relocalization of its proapoptotic activator HIPK2

Giovanna Maria Pierantoni, Cinzia Rinaldo, Marcella Mottolese, Anna Di Benedetto, Francesco Esposito, Silvia Soddu and Alfredo Fusco

Published November 1, 2013

Original citation: J. Clin. Invest. 2007;117(3):693–702. doi:10.1172/JCI29852.

Citation for this retraction: J. Clin. Invest. 2013;123(11):4979. doi:10.1172/JCI73730.

It has come to our attention that multiple HMGA1 bands in the immunoblot images of Figure 1, A, B, and D, and Figure 3D have been inappropriately duplicated. In addition, the p53 blots in Figure 1, A and B, appear to represent a darker exposure of the same blot. The authors are unable to provide the original source files that were used to generate these data. While the authors maintain that these findings were confirmed in replicate experiments, the JCI Editorial Board has decided to retract this paper due to the evident manipulation in these figure panels. No issues have been raised in regard to any of the other data in this manuscript.

The authors regret the errors and concur with this course of action.

The paper has been cited 61 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge.

Der Spiegel has covered the Fusco case.

5 thoughts on “Retraction appears for Italian cancer specialist facing criminal investigation”

  1. On the same molecules there are:

    1. Int Immunol. 2005 Mar;17(3):297-306. Epub 2005 Feb 14.
    IFN-gamma gene expression is controlled by the architectural transcription factor HMGA1.
    Chau KY, Keane-Myers AM, Fedele M, Ikeda Y, Creusot RJ, Menozzi L, Cousins DJ, Manfioletti G, Feigenbaum L, Fusco A, Ono SJ.

    Source
    Department of Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK.

    PMID:15710911

    Pubpeer comment:

    https://pubpeer.com/publications/15710911

    2. J Biol Chem. 2011 Aug 19;286(33):29005-13. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.230854. Epub 2011 Jun 29.
    Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2 stabilizes p27(kip1) by its phosphorylation at serine 10 and contributes to cell motility.
    Pierantoni GM, Esposito F, Tornincasa M, Rinaldo C, Viglietto G, Soddu S, Fusco A.

    Source
    Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche c/o Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.

    PMID: 21715331

    Pubpeer comment:

    https://pubpeer.com/publications/21715331

    3. Cancer Res. 2010 Jul 1;70(13):5379-88. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-4199. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
    High-mobility group A1 proteins regulate p53-mediated transcription of Bcl-2 gene.
    Esposito F, Tornincasa M, Chieffi P, De Martino I, Pierantoni GM, Fusco A.

    Source
    Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.

    PMID: 20530667

    Pubpeer comment:

    https://pubpeer.com/publications/20530667

    4. Proteomics. 2007 Oct;7(20):3735-42.
    Identification of new high mobility group A1 associated proteins.
    Pierantoni GM, Esposito F, Giraud S, Bienvenut WV, Diaz JJ, Fusco A.

    Source
    Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.

    Pubpeer comment:

    https://pubpeer.com/publications/17880001

    1. Second retraction A Fusco.

      http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/cdd2013183a.html

      Retraction

      Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication 6 December 2013; doi: 10.1038/cdd.2013.183
      Retraction: High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) proteins interact with p53 and inhibit its apoptotic activity

      G M Pierantoni, C Rinaldo, F Esposito, M Mottolese, S Soddu and A Fusco

      Retraction to: Cell Death and Differentiation (2006) 13, 1554–1563; doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4401839

      It has come to our attention that multiple bands in Figure 1e and lanes in Figure 3a have been inappropriately duplicated. The authors are unable to provide the original source files that were used to generate these data and they have all agreed to retract this article. The conclusions of the paper have been confirmed by subsequent papers.

        1. Pubpeer comment on Exp Cell Res. 1997 Aug 25;235(1):62-70.

          https://pubpeer.com/publications/2FFCE9B2CED68E5A288DD34FF78ABC#fb8186

          For reference:
          Exp Cell Res. 1997 Aug 25;235(1):62-70.
          Thyroid cell transformation inhibits the expression of a novel rat protein tyrosine phosphatase.
          Zhang L1, Martelli ML, Battaglia C, Trapasso F, Tramontano D, Viglietto G, Porcellini A, Santoro M, Fusco A.
          Author information

          1Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia di Catanzaro, Università degli Studi di Reggio Calabria, via Tommaso Campanella 5, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy.

          PMID:9281353

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