22 DECEMBER 2011
Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine, writes that the
journal is retracting the 2009 paper describing the detection of the
retrovirus XMRV in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome:
Science is fully retracting the Report =93Detection of an infectious
retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue
syndrome=94.
He writes that the decision was reached because multiple laboratories
have failed to reliably detect XMRV or related viruses in CFS
patients. He also cites evidence of =91poor quality control in a number
of specific experiments in the report=92, and that Figure 1, table S1,
and figure S2 have been retracted by the authors. Finally, he notes
the omission of information from the legend of figure 2C, specifically
that the authors failed to indicate that the peripheral blood
mononuclear cells had been treated with azacytidine,
phytohemagglutinin, and IL-2. He concludes:
Given all of these issues, Science has lost confidence in the Report
and the validity of its conclusions. We note that the majority of the
authors have agreed in principle to retract the Report but they have
been unable to agree on the wording of their statement. It is
Science=92s opinion that a retraction signed by all the authors is
unlikely to be forthcoming. We are therefore editorially retracting
the Report. We regret the time and resources that the scientific
community has devoted to unsuccessful attempts to replicate these
results.
http://www.virology.ws/2011/12/22/science-retracts-paper-on-detection-of-xm=
rv-in-cfs-patients/
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