Emory University is looking into why the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) has retracted three papers published by Emory faculty from 2005 to 2007, Retraction Watch has learned. The papers were:
- Extracellular matrix fibronectin increases prostaglandin E-2 receptor subtype EP4 in lung carcinoma cells through multiple signaling pathways – The role of AP-2 (2007, cited 13 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge)
- Fibronectin increases matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression through activation of c-Fos via extracellular-regulated kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways in human lung carcinoma cells (2006, cited 56 times)
- Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPAR beta/delta) increases the expression of prostaglandin E-2 receptor subtype EP4 – The roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (2005, cited 41 times)
It may require some effort to determine the circumstances: The retraction notices in the July 15, 2011 issue of the journal, as Retraction Watch has come to expect from the JBC by now, say nothing:
This article has been retracted by the Publisher.
The senior author of all three papers, Jesse Roman, left Emory in 2009 to become chair of the department of internal medicine at the University of Louisville. He has not responded to requests for comment. Neither has the lead author, Shou Wei Han, whose bio is still listed at Emory but may have joined Roman at Louisville at one point, according to this conference announcement.
An Emory spokesperson told us:
The Emory Office of Research Administration is looking into the facts surrounding the retraction of these papers.
We’ll update with anything we learn.
I would not be surprised at all if there will be more retractions with the same combination of first author / last author soon.