FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2002
NOTICE: NOT-OD-03-001
Department of Health and Human Services
Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the
Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the following case:
Heather J. Muenchen, Ph.D., University of Michigan: Based on the report of an
investigation conducted by the University of Michigan (UM), Dr. Muenchen's
admissions, and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review,
the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that Dr. Muenchen, former
postdoctoral fellow at UM, engaged in scientific misconduct in research funded
by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Urology Research Training Grant T32
DK07758 and SPORE grant PSO CA69568. Dr. Muenchen falsified and fabricated
research data by computer manipulation of 12 Western blot analyses in three
publications and two draft manuscripts.
Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Muenchen:
(1) falsified Western blot data in Figures 3, 4A, and 4B in the following
paper: Muenchen, H.J., Lin, D-L., Walsh, M.A., Keller, E.T., and Pienta, K.J.
"Tumor necrosis factoralphainduced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through
inhibition of nuclear factor B by an I B 'superrepressor.'" Clinical Cancer
Research 6(5):19691977, 2000;
(2) falsified Western blot data in Figures 2 and 3 in the following paper:
Muenchen, H.J., Poncza, P.J., and Pienta, K.J. "Different docetaxel-induced
apoptotic pathways are present in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3."
Urology 57(2):366-370, 2001;
(3) falsified Western blots and associated claims for Figures 1, 5A, 5B, and 8
in the following paper: Muenchen, H.J., Lin, D-L., Poncza, P.J., McLean, L.L,
Dirette, M.L., Keller, E.T., and Pienta, K.J. "Re-expression of functional
androgen receptor in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells." Published
electronically on November 13, 2000 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC)
as Online Manuscript M008934200 (withdrawn January 16, 2001); and
(4) falsified Western blot analyses in Figures 4A, 4B, and 7 of the original
draft submitted for publication on September 29, 2000, (and the corresponding
Figures 5A, 5B, and 8 in the second draft submitted October 20, 2000) of the JBC
manuscript.
Dr. Muenchen was the first and corresponding author on the above publications,
which were supported in part by Urology Research Training Grant T32 DK07758 and
SPORE grant P50 CA69568. These falsifications are significant because they
misrepresent the expression of the androgen receptor, the necessary control
data, the evidence for "super-repressor" binding and its effect, and the control
data for assaying apoptosis. These misrepresentations occurred through a series
of separate and specific deceptions in an attempt to obviate the legitimate
criticisms of publication reviewers. These falsifications were designed to be
misleading about the experiments' true results and to wrongfully induce
publication of the experiments. Dr. Muenchen=s work could have provided tools
for understanding metastasis in prostate cancer and ultimately impact on
treatment of this disease.
Dr. Muenchen has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement in which she has
voluntarily agreed:
(1) to exclude herself from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency
of the United States Government and from eligibility for, or involvement in,
nonprocurement transactions (e.g., grants and cooperative agreements) of the
United States Government as defined in 45 C.F.R. Part 76 (Debarment Regulations)
for a period of five (5) years, beginning on September 5, 2002;
(2) to exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS including
but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer
review committee, or as a consultant for a period of five (5) years, beginning
on September 5, 2002; and
(3) within 30 days of the effective date of this Agreement, to submit letters
of retraction to the editor of Urology retracting the paper published at 57(2):
366-370, 2001, and to the editor of Clinical Cancer Research, published at 6(5):
1969-1977, 2000, identifying and retracting the falsified or fabricated data in
Figure 3 and Figures 4A and 4B. The retraction requirements will remain on the
ALERT System until Dr. Muenchen sends, and ORI receives, copies of the
retraction letters consistent with the above language.
INQUIRIES
For further information contact:
Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
5515 Security Lane, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20852
Telephone: 301-443-5330
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
|
|
|
|
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
|
|
|
|
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®
|