Robert Getzenberg, a former researcher at Hopkins and Pitt, has retracted a sixth paper, this one in Cancer Research.
Here’s the notice for “Mechanistic Analysis of the Role of BLCA-4 in Bladder Cancer Pathobiology:”
The authors wish to retract the article titled “Mechanistic Analysis of the Role of BLCA-4 in Bladder Cancer Pathobiology,” which was published in the August 15, 2005 issue of Cancer Research (1).
The studies performed in the article used a cDNA sequence that at the time of publication the authors believed to encode BLCA-4. The authors feel that although this is still likely the case, there currently exists some uncertainty whether the cDNA sequence indeed encoded this protein. The authors believe that the work performed in the article is fully supported, but that the conclusions reached may differ based upon this potential; therefore, the authors felt that retraction of the article was warranted, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.
Two of the three authors agreed to this Retraction. Attempts on the part of the authors to contact the second author, Thu-Suong Van Le, were unsuccessful.
Julie M. Myers-Irvin and Robert H. Getzenberg
Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The paper has been cited 20 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge.
One paper by Getzenberg — who left Hopkins in mid-2012 and is now director of strategic clinical affairs at drug company GTx — was the focus of a lawsuit.
Hat tip: Rolf Degen