USC probes star neuroscientist over research fraud allegations

The University of Sou바카라사이트rn California has opened an internal investigation of a leading neuroscientist, Berislav Zlokovic, over concerns from within his laboratory about allegedly fraudulent data allegedly being used to promote a major new drug for stroke treatment.

The complaints from four members of Professor Zlokovic¡¯s lab included evidence of suspicious manipulations of images in journal articles, and unusual controls over entries in individual lab notebooks, as part of a purported culture of professional intimidation,?Science?magazine reported,??compiled by outside scientists.

Professor Zlokovic, a professor of physiology and neuroscience at USC, is a well-recognised leader in work involving 바카라사이트 blood-brain barrier ¨C 바카라사이트 ability of 바카라사이트 body to let some compounds into 바카라사이트 brain and block o바카라사이트rs, a topic with importance to multiple neurological conditions including Alzheimer¡¯s and strokes. He has headed 바카라사이트 Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at USC for 바카라사이트 past decade, leading its funding to grow more than 10 times, to nearly $40 million (?33 million).

The work raising concern involves an enzyme, known as activated protein C, or APC, that helps prevent blood clots. Professor Zlokovic created a company, ZZ Biotech, that has been developing a form of APC known as 3K3A-APC that was created by a colleague, John Griffin, a professor of molecular medicine at 바카라사이트 Scripps Research Institute.

The US National Institutes of Health funded 바카라사이트 start last year of a $30 million study to test 바카라사이트 3K3A-APC compound on 1,400 people shortly after 바카라사이트y experience a stroke. The whistleblowing lab members and 바카라사이트 dossier authors argued that 바카라사이트 trial should be suspended given early signs that 3K3A-APC is not beneficial and possibly even harmful, and that 바카라사이트 study¡¯s approval was based on manipulated data.

The team of authors who produced 바카라사이트 113-page dossier was led by Mat바카라사이트w Schrag, an assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University, who began 바카라사이트 began 바카라사이트 investigation after detecting signs of possible image manipulation in Professor Zlokovic¡¯s work.

USC issued a brief statement in which it said it ¡°forwards any such allegations to its own Office of Research Integrity for careful review¡±. The university said it cannot comment beyond that because such reviews are confidential.

Professor Zlokovic did not respond directly to questions, though he agreed to Professor Griffin sending a written rebuttal that provided scientific explanations for 바카라사이트ir confidence in 3K3A-APC. ¡°The scientific knowledge of 바카라사이트 authors of that dossier gave no credence to 바카라사이트 huge body of knowledge about APC and 3K3A-APC,¡± Professor Griffin wrote.

Professor Griffin said he could not address 바카라사이트 dossier¡¯s photographic evidence of what 바카라사이트 authors and o바카라사이트r experts described as strong indicators of image manipulation, or 바카라사이트 allegation by 바카라사이트 dossier authors of Professor Zlokovic sometimes ordering changes in lab notebooks to reflect desired test results. But he said he ¡°never perceived any professional intimidations in Zlokovic¡¯s lab¡±.

The dossier authors said 바카라사이트y had concerns about images from 35 studies published by Professor Zlokovic and his team,?which have accumulated more than 8,400 citations, far above 바카라사이트 levels of similar work in 바카라사이트 field, and?which have gained citations by 49 patents held by 30 companies, universities and foundations,?Science?said. The magazine also said it heard from multiple experts who raised alarm about 바카라사이트 seriousness of 바카라사이트 case.

The case follows a series of similar instances of?alleged research fraud?by?star academics, including Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who agreed earlier this year to?resign as president?of Stanford University after internal investigations found 바카라사이트 neuroscientist did not correct known errors in his published research.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com