Neuroscience (synapse biology)
Thomas Südhof: Südhof lab image and data discrepancies, 2023 to 2025
Stanford University
Errors without misconduct Two papers from his lab were retracted at the authors' request in 2024 and 2025 over data and image errors, with the authors saying the conclusions were supported. No misconduct finding has been reported.1,2,3,6
Papers
| Paper | Action | Date | Reason stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurexin-2 restricts synapse numbers and restrains the presynaptic release probability by an alternative splicing-dependent mechanism Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.23003631203,4,1,5 | Retracted | 5 March 2024 | The authors retracted the paper after re-analysis found unresolvable differences between the raw data for Figs. 2, 4 and 6 and the published data source file, which an erratum could not fix. They also reported copy-paste errors and shifted data points in Fig. 1, and said their analyses of the original data still support the conclusions. PNAS had issued an expression of concern on 17 October 2023. |
| Conditional deletion of all neurexins defines diversity of essential synaptic organizer functions for neurexins (first author Lulu Y. Chen) Neuron, 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.04.0112,6 | Retracted | February 2025 | Retracted at the authors' request, according to The Transmitter. Südhof's lab website cited duplications of larger image areas in one channel in Figure 1D and S4B that cannot be explained by image processing artifacts, and said they warrant a retraction even though the quantitative analyses and conclusions are correct. The notice text was not read. |
Investigations
- No investigation finding reported, February 2025No misconduct finding by Stanford or any other body was reported in the sources read. The notices and the authors describe data and image errors. The Neuron paper's first author said this was an honest mistake and denied any intent to deceive or falsification of data.2,3,5
Response
On his lab website he described image abnormalities in the Neuron paper that warrant a retraction, and maintained the analyses and conclusions are correct (The Transmitter). In the PNAS notice the authors said their analyses of the original data support the conclusions.2,3
Sources
- The Transmitter, Nobel Prize winner Thomas Südhof retracts study (7 March 2024)
- The Transmitter, Second paper from lab of Nobel Prize winner to be retracted (26 August 2024)
- PNAS (via PubMed Central), Retraction for Lin et al., Neurexin-2 restricts synapse numbers and restrains the presynaptic release probability by an alternative splicing-dependent mechanism (5 March 2024)
- PNAS, via Crossref, Crossref metadata for the PNAS retraction and expression of concern (10.1073/pnas.2403021121, 10.1073/pnas.2316399120) (5 March 2024)
- Pesquisa FAPESP, Dados divergentes (20 March 2024)
- Neuron (Cell Press), via Crossref, Retraction Notice to: Conditional Deletion of All Neurexins Defines Diversity of Essential Synaptic Organizer Functions for Neurexins, Crossref metadata (February 2025)