Journal retracts over dozen genetic studies in China citing human rights concerns

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A medical journal by a leading American publishing company has retracted more than a dozen genetics studies conducted in China over human rights concerns, making it one of the largest of such retractions to date. Boarding education safeguards rights of Tibetan children: Chinese expert In one DNA study that was latest to be retracted researchers assessed blood samples collected from 120 Tibetans in Lhasa. However, a retraction notice published on Monday said an ethical review “uncovered inconsistencies between the consent documentation and the research reported; the documentation was not sufficiently detailed to resolve the concerns raised.” The journal also said in the retraction notice that the consent documentation issued by scientists “did not give approval for data associated with this article to be shared publicly.” “As a result, the parties have made the decision to retract the article,” the journal noted. “Every effort should be made to ensure that human genetic data and human proteomic data are not used for purposes that discriminate in a way that is intended to infringe, or has the effect of infringing human rights, fundamental freedoms or human dignity of an individual or for purposes that lead to the stigmatization of an individual, a family, a group or communities,” the declaration says.