Nature flags 2000 cancer paper on p53 protein with editorial concern

Nature issues expression of concern for 2000 cancer paper

The journal Nature has published an Editorial Expression of Concern for a 24-year-old paper on a key cancer protein. The notice, published in 2026, flags potential issues with data in the influential 2000 study.

The paper, "Deacetylation of p53 modulates its effect on cell growth and apoptosis," explored the p53 tumor suppressor. The new concern centers on western blot bands for total p53 in Figure 3.

Identical-looking data raises red flags

The editors state that the bands in panels b and c of the figure "appear to be very similar." This similarity suggests the same image may have been used to represent different experimental conditions.

Because the authors no longer have the original data, the journal could not verify the images. Nature is now advising readers to "interpret these results with caution."

Authors disagree with the concern

Wei Gu, the corresponding author, has stated on behalf of the research team that they do not agree with the Expression of Concern. The notice includes this disagreement but does not elaborate on the authors' position.

The paper has been cited over 1,800 times, according to Google Scholar, underscoring its significant role in cancer biology research. The authors were based at Columbia University at the time of publication.

Key details of the original study

The research was led by Jianyuan Luo and Fei Su, who are listed as contributing equally. Their work investigated how modifying the p53 protein through deacetylation affects its function.

• Original Publication: November 16, 2000, in Nature
• Key Finding: Deacetylation impacts p53's role in cell growth and programmed cell death (apoptosis)
• Institution: Institute of Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York
• Full Author List: Jianyuan Luo, Fei Su, Delin Chen, Ariel Shiloh & Wei Gu

A growing trend of revisiting old data

This notice is part of a broader effort by scientific publishers to scrutinize published work, often years or decades later. Journals are increasingly responding to reader concerns about image duplication or manipulation.

For this paper, the process has resulted in a formal, public alert rather than a retraction. The link to the Expression of Concern carries a 2026 publication date, indicating the notice is newly issued for the older content.

The original paper remains published and accessible, but now carries this prominent editorial warning for the scientific community.