Glaxo research chief fired following GSK probe into data fabrication in multiple sclerosis paper regarding interleukin-7

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The head of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Research & Development operations in China has been fired and another researcher has resigned following a GSK probe into data fabrication on interleukin-7 research published in Nature Magazine. Nature reported that Jingwu Zhang of GSK had found data suggesting that the signaling molecule interleukin-7 caused a subset of T cells T helper 17(TH17) taken from people with multiple sclerosis, to multiply. This suggested that it could be used to spot people at risk for the disease. Œ GSK said in a statement that the paper should be retracted. Despite the problems in the Nature Medicine Paper, GSK maintains that interleukin-7 has an important role in autoimmune disease Zhang denies the accusations of wrongdoing and says he is shocked at GSK’s actions. The first author of the paper Xeubin Liu said that he resigned from GSK and said that the data relating to the central question was described improperly because he forgot to update the manuscript when submitting it for publication. Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.