The Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, has decided to reopen an investigation into scientific misconduct involving one of its researchers after its vice chancellor, Anders Hamsten, acknowledged that he handled the case improperly and resigned his position. In May 2015, an outside investigation conducted at the request of the institute concluded that Italian researcher Paolo Macchiarini deliberately omitted data from seven scientific articles about synthetic trachea transplant surgery. At the time, Hamsten challenged the results of the investigation. In August 2015, the then-vice chancellor absolved Macchiarini after re-evaluating documents submitted by the researcher and his co-authors in their defense. Hamsten acknowledged that the papers did not meet the quality standards of the institute, but disagreed that misconduct had been committed. In February 2016, he changed his mind.
In an open letter published in the Swedish journal Dangens Nyheter on February 13, 2016, he admitted that he had not paid enough attention to the “red flags” suggesting that ethical violations had been committed by Macchiarini. After suggesting that investigations be resumed, Hamsten said that the judgment on the case indicates misconduct in the research. The announcements respond to growing protests by Karolinska researchers about the way the case was handled. As early as 2014, institute scientists had denounced possible fraud in experiments by Macchiarini leading to the implantation of synthetic tracheas in laboratory mice.
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