Cancer researcher at OSU up to nine retractions

Samson Jacob

A cancer researcher and emeritus professor at The Ohio State University has retracted four more papers, bringing his total to nine from a single journal.

The four retractions of work by Samson Jacob appear in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, from which Jacob retracted five papers in March. The original papers — one of which has been cited more than 250 times — date back to 2002.

OSU declined to say whether Jacob’s work was under investigation:

Under federal regulations and university policy, Ohio State University can neither confirm nor deny that the university has any investigation in progress. The university  is not aware of any pending retractions involving Samson Jacob.

All of the retraction notices say that the journal had questioned some figures, and that

The authors stand by the reproducibility of the experimental data and the conclusions of the paper. The paper, with confirmatory data supporting the results, can be obtained by contacting the authors.

At this point, “there are no impending corrections, withdrawals, and/or retractions,” according to an announcement today by the journal.

The four papers retracted today are:

Jacob’s work focuses on the biological pathways that lead to cancer, particularly liver and breast tumors. In 2014, he received OSU’s Distinguished Scholar Award, which includes a $3,000 honorarium and a $20,000 research grant. (An OSU page announcing that prize appears to have either been taken down or changed.)

Jacob did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In addition to the nine retractions, he has had at least one paper corrected.

The Jacob case is just one of several with which OSU has been grappling over the past few years. Another cancer researcher, Carlo Croce, has been dogged by allegations, but the university has not found him guilty of misconduct. And in March, OSU released a report finding misconduct by another cancer researcher, Ching-Shih Chen.

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15 thoughts on “Cancer researcher at OSU up to nine retractions”

  1. Cancer Res. 2010 Dec 15;70(24):10265-76. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-2839.
    Loss of metallothionein predisposes mice to diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis by activating NF-kappaB target genes.
    Majumder S1, Roy S, Kaffenberger T, Wang B, Costinean S, Frankel W, Bratasz A, Kuppusamy P, Hai T, Ghoshal K, Jacob ST.
    Author information
    1
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

    See: https://pubpeer.com/publications/E162C654EC638A4401721CA49E8E75

  2. Genes Cancer. 2012 Jan;3(1):71-81. doi: 10.1177/1947601912452665.
    Novel Insights into the Molecular Mechanism of Action of DNA Hypomethylating Agents: Role of Protein Kinase C δ in Decitabine-Induced Degradation of DNA Methyltransferase 1.
    Datta J1, Ghoshal K, Motiwala T, Jacob ST.
    Author information

    1
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

    See: https://pubpeer.com/publications/6B2EEDD5346B5D240AD7C1BA00AD24

  3. Mol Cell Biol. 2005 Jan;25(2):751-66.
    DNA methyltransferase 3b regulates nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of PC12 cells by recruiting histone deacetylase 2.
    Bai S1, Ghoshal K, Datta J, Majumder S, Yoon SO, Jacob ST.
    Author information
    1
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

    See: https://pubpeer.com/publications/3354281DB6793F0EB6D7BFA341E8AB

  4. Cancer Res. 2009 May 15;69(10):4277-85. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-3669. Epub 2009 May 5.
    A new class of quinoline-based DNA hypomethylating agents reactivates tumor suppressor genes by blocking DNA methyltransferase 1 activity and inducing its degradation.
    Datta J1, Ghoshal K, Denny WA, Gamage SA, Brooke DG, Phiasivongsa P, Redkar S, Jacob ST.
    Author information
    1
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

    See: https://pubpeer.com/publications/12A18CC35570B9174ABD497EC162FB

  5. Cancer Res. 2008 Jul 1;68(13):5049-58. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-6655.
    Methylation mediated silencing of MicroRNA-1 gene and its role in hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
    Datta J1, Kutay H, Nasser MW, Nuovo GJ, Wang B, Majumder S, Liu CG, Volinia S, Croce CM, Schmittgen TD, Ghoshal K, Jacob ST.
    Author information
    1
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.

    See: https://pubpeer.com/publications/7B5F9FE4302EBDE46F41EAF79B0A53

    Especially comment #4.

  6. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
    Volume 21, Issue 11, 1 June 2013, Pages 3147-3153
    Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
    Structure–activity relationships for 4-anilinoquinoline derivatives as inhibitors of the DNA methyltransferase enzyme DNMT1
    Author links open overlay panelSwarna A.GamageaDarby G.BrookeaSanjeevRedkarbJharnaDattacdSamson T.JacobcdeWilliam A.Dennya
    Show more
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2013.03.033

    Figure 1.

    https://imgur.com/kKB6lsf

    1. ” In 2014, he received OSU’s Distinguished Scholar Award, which includes a $3,000 honorarium and a $20,000 research grant. (An OSU page announcing that prize appears to have either been taken down or changed.)”

      https://www.osu.edu/universityawards/2014/scholar.html

      2014
      University Distinguished Scholar Awards
      The Distinguished Scholar Award, established in 1978, recognizes exceptional scholarly accomplishments by senior professors who have compiled a substantial body of research. The award is supported by the Office of Research. Recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including several past recipients of the award. Distinguished Scholars receive a $3,000 honorarium and a research grant of $20,000 to be used over the next three years.

      Second awardee.
      Samson T. Jacob
      The William C. and Joan E. Davis Cancer Research Professor
      Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

      Samson T. Jacob
      Samson Jacob has emerged as a pioneer in the field of regulation of gene expression, particularly in the context of leukemia and liver cancer.

      He has advanced the understanding of how both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are regulated during normal development, as well as deregulated during disease, and identified and characterized enzymes, signaling molecules, biochemical pathways, transcription factors and DNA modifications that can affect human health by altering the pattern of gene expression. His groundbreaking research has changed the dialogue on the elements that regulate gene expression and has given insight into the development of novel therapeutic agents.

      According to one colleague, “Dr. Jacob’s national and international reputation as a major figure in biological research comes not only from his outstanding research accomplishments, but also from his contributions in academic administration and service to the scientific community.”

      The quality and importance of Jacob’s research are evidenced by the more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact and top-tier journals in the fields of biochemistry, cancer research, hepatology and immunology, including Nature, Science, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Blood, Hepatology, Cancer Research, Oncogene, J. Biological Chemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

      Jacob is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been continuously funded throughout his career by the National Institutes of Health.

      He obtained his BS from Madras University, India, and his MSc and PhD from Agra University, India. He joined Ohio State in 1996.

  7. Gastroenterology. 2007 Aug; 133(2): 647–658.
    Published online 2007 May 21. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.05.022
    PMCID: PMC4285346
    NIHMSID: NIHMS130221
    PMID: 17681183
    MicroRNA-21 Regulates Expression of the PTEN Tumor Suppressor Gene in Human Hepatocellular Cancer
    FANYIN MENG,*‡ ROGER HENSON,* HANIA WEHBE-JANEK,* KALPANA GHOSHAL,§ SAMSON T. JACOB,§ and TUSHAR PATEL*‡
    *Department of Internal Medicine, Scott and White Clinic, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas
    ‡Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
    §Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
    Address requests for reprints to: Tushar Patel, MBChB, The Ohio State University Medical Center, N2 Doan Hall, 410 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210.

    See: https://imgur.com/MxzKszM

  8. Is there a correlation between performance of various questionable activities?

    “From 1990 until the present, Patricia Hentosh has been employed by the University [University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School], first as an Assistant Professor and currently as an Associate Professor in the Department.   According to her complaint, [Samson T.] Jacob served as chairman of the Department at the time Hentosh was hired and supervised her until his resignation on December 25, 1995.   Hentosh alleged that during his tenure as chairman of the Department, Jacob engaged in a pattern and practice of sexual favoritism in the workplace.   To this end, Jacob made unwanted and unwelcome sexual demands on at least four women (not including Hentosh) who worked in the Department with Hentosh.   Jacob also allegedly conducted a sexual relationship with one of the female assistant professors, and Hentosh claimed that this professor received more favorable terms and conditions of employment than other faculty members of the Department as a result of her alleged relationship with Jacob.”

    Following his time at Chicago Medical School, STJ joined the faculty at OSU.

    https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-7th-circuit/1374319.html

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