A lung cancer paper in the International Journal of Cancer has been retracted because of “serious errors related to image duplication.” This marks the eighth retraction for first author, ShouWei Han.
The decision was made by the journal’s editor-in-chief, the publisher Wiley and co-author Jesse Roman (a co-author on Han’s other retracted papers). According to the notice, Han didn’t respond “to requests by the journal or the co-author.”
In 2011, Han was the target of an investigation by his former employer, the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Papers in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology and American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology have been retracted.
Here’s the full retraction notice for the latest retraction:
The above article, published online on 11 April 2005 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the co-author, the journal Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Peter Lichter, and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The Retraction has been agreed because serious errors related to image duplication were identified in some of the figures presented. An investigation found that the errors were performed by the first and corresponding author, ShouWei Han, without the knowledge of the co-author. ShouWei Han has not responded to requests by the journal or the co-author. Therefore, the co-author has requested the Retraction of this article and apologizes to the readers of the journal.
Managing editor Sherryl Sundell said there wasn’t much more to add:
We really don’t have too much more to report. An independent researcher reported the problem to us and we followed the [Committee on Publication Ethics] guidelines in dealing with the case and investigation. Otherwise, the specific details are published in the retraction notice.
The paper, “COX-2 inhibitors suppress integrin α5 gene expression in human lung carcinoma cells through activation of Erk: involvement of Sp1 and AP-1 sites,” was published in 2005 and detailed how drugs that inhibit COX-2 can reduce the risk of lung cancer. It has been cited 26 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge.
Emails addresses listed under Han at Louisville and Emory are no longer active, and we couldn’t find any other contact information. We’ve contacted Roman and we’ll update if we receive any response.
Like Retraction Watch? Consider supporting our growth. You can also follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, and sign up on our homepage for an email every time there’s a new post. Click here to review our Comments Policy.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2009 Jan;8(1):110-8. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-08-0719.
Rosiglitazone inhibits alpha4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in human lung carcinoma cells through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-independent signals.
Sun X1, Ritzenthaler JD, Zheng Y, Roman J, Han S.
Author information
1
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Bioresearch Building, 615 Michael Street, Suite 205-M, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Figures 2A and 3A. Much more similar than you would expect, although the experimental conditions are different.
See: https://imgur.com/HyPkW25
Cancer Res. 2009 Feb 1;69(3):896-904. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-2677. Epub 2009 Jan 27.
Prostaglandin E2 stimulates human lung carcinoma cell growth through induction of integrin-linked kinase: the involvement of EP4 and Sp1.
Zheng Y1, Ritzenthaler JD, Sun X, Roman J, Han S.
Author information
1
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA.
Figure 1. Much more similar than you would expect.
See: https://imgur.com/91dWlnQ
No mention of the 8 retractions here: https://louisville.edu/medicine/departments/medicine/about/previous-chairs/roman
“Dr. Roman has written extensively in the area of lung tissue remodeling and inflammation and the role of extracellular matrices in the control of cellular functions with over 120 original papers, book chapters, and review articles.”
Data in Cancer Res. 2006 Jan 1;66(1):315-23 very similar to data in Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2005 Sep;289(3):L419-28.
Cancer Res. 2006 Jan 1;66(1):315-23.
Fibronectin stimulates non-small cell lung carcinoma cell growth through activation of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/S6 kinase and inactivation of LKB1/AMP-activated protein kinase signal pathways.
Han S1, Khuri FR, Roman J.
Author information
1
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Figure 1D. Much more similar than you would expect.
See: https://imgur.com/k3JGkca
FYI:
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2005 Sep;289(3):L419-28. Epub 2005 May 20.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligands suppress fibronectin gene expression in human lung carcinoma cells: involvement of both CRE and Sp1.
Han S1, Ritzenthaler JD, Rivera HN, Roman J.
Author information
1
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322,
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2007 Dec;37(6):681-90. Epub 2007 Jun 28.
Nicotine stimulates human lung cancer cell growth by inducing fibronectin expression.
Zheng Y1, Ritzenthaler JD, Roman J, Han S.
Author information
1
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Figure 5. Much more similar than you would expect.
See: https://imgur.com/PcRwlrA