OT UCONN, Dipak Das and Resveratrol

[Edward Sargent]

Anyone examining the effects of resveratrol might want to read this:

The University of Connecticut has concluded that Dipak K. Das, Ph.D., a professor in its Department of Surgery and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center, was guilty of 145 counts of fabrication and falsification of data and that the university had notified eleven journals about this problem. As of June 2012, four of the journals have retracted twelve of his papers, many of which were repeatedly cited by others.
http://retractionwatch.wordpress.co...resveratrol-researcher-dipak-das-rises-to-12/

Of course this will ultimately lead to further NCAA sanctions of the UCONN Men's Basketball team

 

[8893]

In all seriousness, I really did think that this was a thread about new German recruits.

 

[Dove]

Looked more like we made inroads to India.

 

[SoCalCanine]

I have a friend involved in Reservatrol research and I am told this is a huge bummer because the stuff really works, there are many many studies that show this. But naysayers will jump on this one guy who falsified his data. I heard about this months ago and still take it every day!!!

 

[Edward Sargent]

I have a friend involved in Reservatrol research and I am told this is a huge bummer because the stuff really works, there are many many studies that show this. But naysayers will jump on this one guy who falsified his data. I heard about this months ago and still take it every day!!!

This is why falsifying research data like this should be a criminal offense. Reservatrol isn't a life saving drug but it could have been. On another note don't put too much faith into reservatrol. It definitely is a good reason for continuing to drink good red wine, but mega doses - nope - don't do it. I've lived through the Linus Pauling mega vitamin will make you live longer bullcrap and so many other attempts at the fountain of youth. My advice -- you are creating very expensive urine. At least with reservatrol you can justifyu enjoying a nice Cabernet some cheese bread, a beautiful women and BAM you live longer!!

 

[SoCalCanine]

Well, not to belabor the point in this inappropriate setting, but the Harvard Medical School and my friend who happens to be the Head of Cardiology at a prestigious hospital both believe "mega doses" of reservatrol along with some other polyphenols could very well be a life-changing or even life-saving therapy. And while I enjoy red wine as much or more than many, I'd have to drink 90 bottles daily to get what I take. Maybe I'm wasting my money on an expensive placebo, but in my health situation its more than worth the chance. But I agree whole-heartedly that falsifying data like this should be a criminal offense!!!

 

[BILL SARDI]

Anyone blogging here only has only heard that Dr. Das is guilty of scientific fraud, they don't know he is guilty. To believe in the allegations against Dr. Das one has to trust that the university is accurate and fair in its assertions. I had opportunity to interview Dr. Das and his former students directly. When discrepancies between UCONN's allegations and information I obtained were aired online, UCONN quickly took their website offline which contained a 25-page summary of charges and 60,000 pages of evidence. The evidence only represented "representations" of fabricated science, not the actual original western blot images that were produced in Dr. Das' lab. Not a word was mentioned that journal editors demand images be enhanced for reproduction in their journals, which is what Dr. Das did. UCONN is sending letters to journals to retract 40 years of research conducted at 3 different institutions, conducted by many researchers. Lab results for most of those published studies no longer exist. Dr. Das is being asked to retract papers for which no evidence exists in his defense. Records storage for scientific studies is only 5 years. Dr. Das was not given due process and was not allowed to present information favorable to his defense to a university review board. UCONN confiscated Dr Das' computer, then said it lost the disc with all of the evidence against him, including the original western blot images. UCONN only used computer software to analyze western blot images in published journals which were enhanced at the demand of journal editors.

What was solely in question was whether western blot images were accurately portrayed in published papers. Western blot images measure gene/protein synthesis and only involve mechanisms of biological action. Whether the western blot images were accurate or not does not change the conclusions of his studies, which were independently re-produced by others. What Dr. Das unequivocally demonstrated was that relatively low-dose resveratrol (more than can be obtained by several glasses of wine) protect the heart PRIOR TO a heart attack so that the heart is spared from death. Translated to humans, this would mean it would be possible to prevent sudden-death heart attacks, something aspirin or statin drugs do not do. This is monumental research. Dr. Das showed that heart tissue, once damaged, produces antioxidants such as heme oxygenase, adenosine, glutathione, catalase, SOD and nitric oxide AFTER a heart attack has occurred. Resveratrol is perceived as a biological stressor and activates these defenses in the heart PRIOR TO the event, something no other drug can do.

A videotape will soon be aired where Dr. Das has opportunity to defend himself.

 

[Fishy]

Is there any Reservatrol in cocaine? If now, how would we go about adding some?

I'm asking for a friend.

 

[junglehusky]

Never thought I'd get into a discussion about western blots on the boneyard but... is Dr. Das's seriously trying to assert that the images were enhanced because the journal editors asked him to? I haven't followed this story but at face value this claim sounds laughable. Perhaps the initial blots did not support the conclusions, and when the reviewers/editors pointed this out Dr. Das decided to photoshop them. Again I'm not familiar with the details other than the allegations of manipulating the images, but this kind of thing is becoming more and more prevalent unfortunately with increasing pressure to produce in research departments.

As far as the claims about UConn "covering up" the report, well, it has been forwarded to the federal Office of Research Integrity so I suppose it's in their hands now, and if Dr. Das has a neat and tidy explanation he can offer it to them.

Here is a NY Times article from Jan. 2012 for those who are interested.