Correcting the Research Record

Evidence of image manipulation and fabrication undermines the scientific evidence of some key theories about Alzheimer's Disease

Photo by Lukas Juhas

A dominant but controversial theory posits that Alzheimer’s Disease develops when Aβ clumps, also known as plaques, develop in brain tissues. This research is now under fire due to great detective work by data sleuths. What these sleuths and short sellers uncovered was that the original research can not be trusted because images in the paper that should be different from each other are in fact manipulated versions of the same image. This indicates that the evidence can’t be trusted but it’s hard to prove it was done with fraudulent intent because errors also sometimes happen by mistake. In any case, the plaque theory can’t be trusted and will likely be replaced by other more reliable explanations for Alzheimer’s Disease in the future. This has actually been a major scandal that rocked Cassava Sciences, a biotech company that funded and benefited from much of the research, and it has rocked the scientific community in general.

Read the story at Science.org.

The content for this site is funded by a neurology practice in Arizona.