Paolo Macchiarini

Paolo Macchiarini
Born
Paolo Macchiarini

(1958-08-22) 22 August 1958 (age 66)
Basel, Switzerland
NationalityItalian
Alma materUniversity of Pisa
OccupationSurgeon
Known forScientific misconduct, plastic tracheas
Children3

Paolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958)[1][2] is a thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and manipulative behavior.[3][4] He was convicted of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden.[5][6]

Previously considered a pioneer for using both biological and synthetic scaffolds seeded with patients' own stem cells as trachea transplants, Macchiarini was a visiting professor and director on a temporary contract at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet (KI) from 2010.[7] Macchiarini was convicted of unethically performing experimental surgeries, even on relatively healthy patients, resulting in fatalities for seven of the eight patients who received one of his synthetic trachea transplants.[8] Articles in Vanity Fair and Aftonbladet further suggested he had falsified some academic credentials on résumés.[9][10]

Urban Lendahl, the secretary of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, resigned in February 2016, owing to his involvement in recruiting Macchiarini to KI.[11] Shortly afterwards KI's vice chancellor, Anders Hamsten, who in 2015 had cleared Macchiarini of misconduct, resigned.[12] KI terminated its clinical relationship with Macchiarini in 2013 but allowed him to continue as a researcher; in February 2016, the university announced it would not renew his research contract, which was due to expire in November, and terminated the contract the following month.[13] After being dismissed from KI, Macchiarini worked at the Kazan Federal University in Russia until that institution terminated his project in April 2017, effectively firing him.[14][15]

After a one-year medico-legal investigation, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced in October 2017 that Macchiarini had been negligent in four of the five cases investigated, due to the use of devices and procedures not supported by evidence, but a crime could not be proven because the patients might have died under any other treatment given.[16][17] Macchiarini was convicted of causing bodily harm, but not assault. He received a suspended sentence in June 2022.[18][6] However, a year later his sentence was increased to two years and six months imprisonment by an appeals court.[19][20][21] Following an appeal to the Supreme Court, the Court declined to consider the appeal in October 2023.[22][23]

Sweden's Expert Group on Scientific Misconduct found evidence of research fraud by Macchiarini and his co-authors in six papers and called for them to be retracted.[24] As of 2023, Macchiarini has had 11 of his research papers retracted, four others have received an expression of concern, and three others have been corrected.[25]

  1. ^ "Karolinska Institute Curriculum Vitae: Paolo Macchiarini" (PDF). Karolinska Institute via Citizens For Responsible Care and Research. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2017.
  2. ^ Holmes, David (March 2012). "Paolo Macchiarini: crossing frontiers". The Lancet. 379 (9819): 886. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60382-1. PMID 22405786.
  3. ^ McCook, Alison (5 February 2016). "Karolinska orders new investigation of trachea surgeon Macchiarini". Retraction Watch. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  4. ^ Vogel, Gretchen (2016). "Another scathing report causes more eminent heads to roll in the Macchiarini scandal". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aah7266.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b AFP (16 June 2022). "Sweden: surgeon convicted of bodily harm over synthetic trachea transplant". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Qualifications portfolio for teachers and researchers at Karolinska Institutet" (PDF). circare.org. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  8. ^ Bäsén, Anna (13 January 2016). "Tekniken skulle rädda liv – sex av åtta dog" [The technology could save lives – six of the eight died]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  9. ^ Ciralsky, Adam (31 January 2016). "The Celebrity Surgeon Who Used Love, Money, and the Pope to Scam an NBC News Producer". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  10. ^ Ahlborg, Karin (9 February 2016). "Skandalkirurgen ljög om sina meriter" [The scandal surgeon lied about his qualifications]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  11. ^ Vogel, Gretchen (2016). "Top Nobel Prize administrator resigns in wake of Macchiarini scandal". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aaf4023.
  12. ^ Vogel, Gretchen (2016). "Karolinska Institute vice-chancellor resigns in wake of Macchiarini scandal". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aaf4058.
  13. ^ Abbott, Alison (2016). "Prestigious Karolinska Institute dismisses controversial trachea surgeon". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19629. S2CID 75963204.
  14. ^ "From Confines Of Russia, Controversial Stem-Cell Surgeon Tries To Weather Scandal". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 6 February 2017.
  15. ^ Astakhova, Alla (2017). "Superstar surgeon fired, again, this time in Russia". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aal1201.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReutersDropped was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference RWdropped was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Skandalkirurgen Macchiarini döms för vållande till kroppsskada" (in Swedish). 16 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Skandalkirurgen: "Jag förlorade allt"". 21 June 2023.
  20. ^ Paterlini, Marta (22 June 2023). "Paolo Macchiarini: Disgraced surgeon is sentenced to 30 months in prison". BMJ. 381: 1442. doi:10.1136/bmj.p1442. PMID 37348897. S2CID 259223474.
  21. ^ "Italian surgeon convicted in Sweden over patient deaths". Reuters. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  22. ^ Ekberg Skog, Hjalmar (30 October 2023). "HD tar inte upp målet – domen mot Macchiarini står fast". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  23. ^ Huss, Madeleine (8 November 2023). "The Macchiarini case: Timeline". Karolinska Institutet. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference NatlRevBoard2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ "Retraction Watch Database". Retraction Watch. The Center for Scientific Integrity. Retrieved 31 October 2023.