Ob-gyn prof up to 7 retractions, latest due to “substantial data misrepresentation”

Two more retractions have popped up for Nasser Chegini, the former University of Florida professor currently under investigation by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI).

Both retractions appear in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The notices indicate that an investigation report from the University of Florida “found substantial data misrepresentation” in two JCEM articles about Smads, signaling molecules that carry messages from TGF-beta receptors to the nucleus.

Here’s the notice for “The Expression of Smads in Human Endometrium and Regulation and Induction in Endometrial Epithelial and Stromal Cells by Transforming Growth Factor-Beta” (cited 28 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge):

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has received a report describing an investigation by The University of Florida which found substantial data misrepresentation in the following article: “The Expression of Smads in Human Endometrium and Regulation and Induction in Endometrial Epithelial and Stromal Cells by Transforming Growth Factor-Beta” by Luo, X, Xu, J and Chegini, N. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 4967–4976, 2003). Because the results cannot be considered reliable, The Journal is retracting the paper.

Here’s the notice for “Differential Expression, Regulation, and Induction of Smads, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Signal Transduction Pathway in Leiomyoma, and Myometrial smooth muscle cells and Alteration by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog”:

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has received a report describing an investigation by The University of Florida which found substantial data misrepresentation in the following article: “Differential Expression, Regulation, and Induction of Smads, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Signal Transduction Pathway in Leiomyoma, and Myometrial smooth muscle cells and Alteration by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog” by Xu, J, Luo, X and Chegini, N. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab) 88: 1350–1361, 2003). Because the results cannot be considered reliable, The Journal is retracting the paper.

By our count, this brings Chegini’s total retraction count to 7, including 3 papers from Oxford journals pulled in 2014, a 2008 paper in Reproductive Science (due to “falsified or fabricated data”), and a 2010 paper in Molecular Human Reproduction (because of “manipulated or falsified data”).

Chegini has retired from his post as professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the U of Florida. During his career, he received at least $4 million in federal grant funding, according to the university.

We’ve reached out to the journal, and will update if we hear back.

Update 7:10 a.m. EST 3/4/15: When originally published, the JCEM notices were behind a paywall. After this post, Jenni Glenn Gingery, associate director of media relations for the Endocrine Society, contacted us to say the notices were now freely available:

Thank you for letting us know the two recent retractions were behind a paywall. This was done in error, and the JCEM staff has corrected the issue.

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