In a move that caught researches by surprise this week (September 18), the journal PLOS Pathogens retracted the 2006 paper that first identified the infamous XMRV—now known to be a lab-generated, harmless virus—and linked it to prostate cancer. Since its identification, other scientists published studies linking the virus to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which also led to high-profile retractions.
The decision by PLoS Pathogens to retract the 2006 paper came a day after the authors of the study published another in PLOS ONE confirming that XMRV is not linked to prostate cancer. The authors, including Robert Silverman of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, were preparing an erratum for the 2006 study, but had declined a full retraction and were caught off-guard by the journal’s decision.
“The discovery of XMRV, a new virus, still stands,” Silverman told ScienceNOW. “Why retract results that are valid?”
Indeed, the retraction notice posted by PLOS Pathogens ...
