Retraction

Vareille, Marjolaine; Alves, Marco P; Kopf, Brigitte S; Möller, Alexander; Geiser, Thomas; Johnston, Sebastian L; Edwards, Michael R; Regamey, Nicolas (2013). Retraction. Thorax, 68(9), p. 886. London: BMJ Publishing Group 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200405ret

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Vareille M, Kieninger E, Alves MP, et al. Impaired type I and type III interferon induction and rhinovirus control in human cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells. Thorax 2012;67:517-25. This article has been retracted.

In our article recently published in Thorax, we described a novel mechanism explaining the increased susceptibility of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) to rhinovirus infections, namely defective interferon type I and III production by CF airway epithelial cells. In experiments performed after publication of the article we were unable to consistently replicate our findings of deficient interferon type I and III production by CF airway epithelial cells upon rhinovirus infection. In the light of these results, we carried out detailed investigations of the data reported in the above manuscript and regrettably found evidence of deliberate manipulation of experimental data by the first author Dr M. Vareille. This manipulation was accompanied in some instances by absence of original data files. The manipulation/original data absence involved data presented in most, if not all of the figures, thus we wish to fully retract the paper and apologise to the readers of Thorax and to the scientific community for the inconvenience this has caused.

We also checked data published by our group in manuscripts on which Dr Vareille was a co-author and found that data published in these manuscripts had not been manipulated. These two manuscripts, whose data and conclusions we stand by are:

Edwards MR, Regamey N, Vareille M, et al. Impaired innate interferon induction in severe therapy resistant atopic asthmatic children. Mucosal Immunol 2013;6:797–806. doi: 10.1038/mi.2012.118.

and

Kieninger E, Vareille M, Kopf BS, et al. Lack of an exaggerated inflammatory response on virus infection in cystic fibrosis. Eur Respir J 2012;39:297–304. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00054511.

Dr. Vareille has received a letter from the Secretary General of the University of Bern condemning her scientific misconduct as a severe offence against the rules of scientific integrity. Her current employers have also been informed.

All co-authors of the publication including Dr. Vareille concur with the retraction statement.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Further Contribution)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Paediatric Medicine 04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gastro-intestinal, Liver and Lung Disorders (DMLL) > Clinic of Pneumology
UniBE Contributor:	Kieninger, Elisabeth, Geiser, Thomas (A), Regamey, Nicolas
ISSN:	0040-6376
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group
Language:	English
Submitter:	Anette van Dorland
Date Deposited:	02 Jun 2016 15:58
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:34
Publisher DOI:	10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200405ret
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/83502

Available Versions of this Item

• Impaired type I and type III interferon induction and rhinovirus control in human cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells. (deposited 04 Oct 2013 14:24)
  • Retraction. (deposited 02 Jun 2016 15:58) [Currently Displayed]