“Super-surgeon” who created artificial tracheas facing new misconduct allegations

A one-time media favorite is being accused of serious misconduct in three cases where he inserted artificial windpipes into patients and treated them with stem cells. Two of the patients have died; one survives, but needs her airway cleaned every four hours by hospital staff to keep her alive. A little over two years ago, thoracic … Continue reading “Super-surgeon” who created artificial tracheas facing new misconduct allegations

Journal takes down autism-vaccine paper pending investigation

An article purporting to find that black children are at substantially increased risk for autism after early exposure to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine has been shelved. Although we don’t know if the events are related, the move comes amid claims that a CDC whistleblower has accused health officials of suppressing information about the link. Not surprisingly, … Continue reading Journal takes down autism-vaccine paper pending investigation

Braggadacio, information control, and fear: Life inside a Brigham stem cell lab under investigation

The following post was written by a former research fellow in the lab of Piero Anversa to whom we’ve promised confidentiality. Anversa has previously told us that he cannot comment because of an ongoing investigation. Regular readers of Retraction Watch will note the recent news regarding the work conducted in the laboratory of Piero Anversa … Continue reading Braggadacio, information control, and fear: Life inside a Brigham stem cell lab under investigation

NIH/Harvard team loses aging study to manipulated data

Age has retracted a 2012 article by a group of scientists from the National Institutes of Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston after an NIH inquiry turned up evidence of data manipulation in the work. The article, “Aging decreases rate of docosahexaenoic acid synthesis-secretion from circulating unesterified α-linolenic acid by rat liver,” came … Continue reading NIH/Harvard team loses aging study to manipulated data

Harvard and the Brigham investigating leading heart group for “compromised” data

Circulation has retracted a 2012 study by a group of Harvard heart specialists over concerns of corrupt data, and the university is investigating. The group was led by Piero Anversa, a leading cardiologist, and Joseph Loscalzo — who will be familiar to readers of Circulation as the editor in chief of that journal. (Anversa’s also … Continue reading Harvard and the Brigham investigating leading heart group for “compromised” data

Novartis Diovan scandal claims two more papers

A complicated story involving Novartis’s valsartan (Diovan) has led to the retraction of two more papers, one cascading from the other. Last September, The Lancet retracted the Jikei Heart Study after a slew of retractions of related work prompted an investigation of valsartan research. That investigation found evidence of data manipulation and the failure of … Continue reading Novartis Diovan scandal claims two more papers

Chronic fatigue syndrome researcher Mikovits, who championed link to XMRV, to publish book

Judy Mikovits, the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) researcher who had a paper linking the condition to XMRV retracted, has co-authored a book that’s coming out on May 6. In an announcement on Age of Autism, co-author Kent Heckenlively gives a taste of what readers might find in the book, titled PLAGUE – One Scientist’s Intrepid … Continue reading Chronic fatigue syndrome researcher Mikovits, who championed link to XMRV, to publish book

Weekend reads: A psychology researcher’s confession, a state senator’s plagiarism

Yet another busy week at Retraction Watch, with one of us taking part in a symposium on the future of science journalism for a few days. (See if you can find Ivan in this picture.) Here’s what was happening elsewhere on the web in science publishing and related issues: