Retraction Notice to “Differential effects of immunotherapy with antibodies targeting α-synuclein oligomers and fibrils in a transgenic model of synucleinopathy” [Neurobiology of Disease 104 (2017) 85–96, (S0969996117301055), (10.1016/j.nbd.2017.05.002)]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. The Journal received a complaint regarding Figs. 6 and 9 of this publication, titled “Differential effects of immunotherapy with antibodies targeting α-synuclein oligomers and fibrils in a transgenic model of synucleinopathy.” The complaint alleged that there were multiple overlapping regions present in Fig. 6 A and Fig. 9 A, which was corroborated by the Journal's analysis. The corresponding author, Dr. Robert Rissman, and first author, Dr. Omar El-Agnaf, were contacted. Dr. Rissman explained that, in discussing with Dr. Masliah, errors had occurred while copying and pasting the individual panels that compose the figures, resulting in a portion of the synuclein tg synf2 condition being pasted into the synuclein tg synO4 position in Fig. 6, and a portion of the split single label synaptophysin FITC image being placed in the non-tg vehicle position in Fig. 9. Dr. Rissman provided corrected versions of Fig. 6 and Fig. 9, along with the individual panel files, provided by Dr. Masliah. Subsequently, image analysis software identified further possible image duplications and manipulations in the corrected figures. The authors were informed accordingly of the findings. Dr. Rissman explained that his co-author, Dr. Eliezer Masliah, made the original and revised figures and has all of the original data. Dr. Masliah responded that in reviewing the materials sent to us, he realized that they sent us the incorrect version for the non-tg veh condition that was mislabeled and incorrectly saved. He resent a newly corrected version of Fig. 9a with the correct image for the non-tg veh control. As Dr. Rissman and Dr. Masliah provided different versions of what should be the correct data and an additional duplication was found in the first version, the Editor-in-Chief did not find the explanations provided satisfactory. After careful consideration, on the strength of the evidence of manipulation, the Editor in Chief has determined that confidence in the integrity of the images and content of the article has been lost and retraction is warranted. The notice of retraction was deliverable to all authors except for Dr. Michael Mante and Dr. Changyoun Kim. Dr. Rissman and Dr. El-Agnaf agreed with the retraction, Dr. Masliah disagreed with the retraction, and no response was received from Dr. Cassia Overk, Dr. Jazmin Florio, Dr. Anthony Adame, Dr. Nishant Vaikath, Dr. Nour Majbour and Dr. Seung-Jae Lee. The authors requested to clarify each of their contributions to the paper for transparency. Dr. Omar El-Agnaf: Production and characterization of the monoclonal antibodies tested in this study; writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Dr. El-Agnaf and Dr. Masliah: Conceptualization and design of the project. Dr. Robert Rissman: Animal work; writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Drs. Rockenstein, Adame, Mante, and Florio (employees of the Rissman lab Transgenic Animal Core and Histopathology Core): Breeding of mice; treatment of mice with antibodies; behavioral testing; sacrifice of mice for endpoint analyses. Drs. Kim and Overk (employees of the Masliah lab): Data analysis; writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Dr. Eliezer Masliah: Data analysis; figure preparation; writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Drs. Vaikath and Majbour (employees of Dr. El-Agnaf's lab): Writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Dr. Lee: Writing and editing of text; approval of the final manuscript. Apologies are offered to the readers of Neurobiology of Disease that these issues were not detected during the submission and review process.