[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 34016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11908]



[[Page 34016]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Research Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in 
the following case:
    Carlos A. Murillo, M.D., University of Texas Medical Branch at 
Galveston: Based on the report of an inquiry conducted by the 
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and additional 
analysis and information obtained by the Office of Research Integrity 
during its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found 
that Carlos A. Murillo, M.D., former Surgical Resident, Department of 
Surgery, UTMB, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 
(NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 DK48498 and 
T32 DK07639.
    Specifically, Dr. Murillo falsified research on the amelioration by 
antisense RNA (siRNA) of dextran-induced colonic toxicity in mice. He 
altered the concentrations of dextran solution fed to mice to induce 
colonic inflammation, by intentionally including little or no dextran 
in the drinking water of siRNA treated mice, so that the animals that 
received siRNA would have few or no colonic lesions.
    Dr. Murillo has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement) in which he has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three 
(3) years, beginning on May 30, 2007:
    (1) That any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which Dr. Murillo's participation is 
proposed or that uses him in any capacity on PHS support research, or 
that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which he is involved, 
must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of his duties to the 
funding agency for approval; the supervisory plan must be designed to 
ensure the scientific integrity of Dr. Murillo's research contribution; 
Dr. Murillo agrees to ensure that a copy of the supervisory plan is 
also submitted to ORI by the institution and agrees that he will not 
participate in any PHS-supported research until such a supervision plan 
is submitted to ORI;
    (2) to exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to 
PHS, including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory 
committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant; and
    (3) to request retraction of the abstract entitled ``Inhibition of 
Phosphoinositol 3-kinase Using Anti-p85 siRNA Attenuates Dextran-
Sulfate-Induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease'' (Gastroenterology 126:A49, 
2004), by signing the letter of retraction prepared by ORI attached as 
Attachment 2 and made part of the Agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8800.

John Dahlberg,
Acting Director,Office of Research Integrity.
 [FR Doc. E7-11908 Filed 6-19-07; 8:45 am]
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