Pellicano F, Cilloni D, Helgason GV, Messa F, Panuzzo C, Arruga F, Bracco E, Allan E, Huntly BJ, Holyoake TL, Saglio G. FOXO transcription factor activity is partially retained in quiescent CML stem cells and induced by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in CML progenitor cells [published online ahead of print December 1, 2009]. Blood. doi 10.1182/blood-2009-06-226621.

The authors retract the December 1, 2009, prepublished First Edition paper cited above. The paper contains an inaccuracy in one figure (cells in Figure 2Bc are mononuclear cells and not CD34⁺ cells); this error does not change the scientific conclusion of the paper. In addition, Dr Francesca Messa, a biologist from the group of Prof Giuseppe Saglio at the Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy, has admitted to intentionally providing false confocal images (Figure 4B panels c, e, and g). The rest of the data in the paper are sound, and support the conclusions of the paper. Prof Saglio states categorically that none of the authors from the United Kingdom groups of Holyoake and Huntly (Pellicano, Helgason, and Allan), nor other members of his Italian group, were involved in or aware of these events. The authors apologize to the readers, reviewers, and editors of Blood for publishing these erroneous images.