Ritesh Gandhi at 00:02, 11 June 2025

2025-06-11T00:02:35Z

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{{short description|Indian-American biochemist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Bharat B. Aggarwal
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| fields = [[Biochemistry]]
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| alma_mater = [[University of Delhi]]<br />[[Banares Hindu University]]<br />[[University of California, Berkeley]]
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'''Bharat B. Aggarwal''' is an Indian-American [[biochemist]]. His research has been in the areas of [[cytokine]]s, the role of inflammation in cancer, and the anti-cancer effects of spices and herbs, particularly [[curcumin]] (a chemical constituent of the spice [[turmeric]]). He was a professor in the Department of Clinical Immunology, Bioimmunotherapy, and Experimental Therapeutics at [[University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center]] in [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name=HC1/>

In 2012, MD Anderson launched a review of Aggarwal's research after the federal government notified them of allegations of fraud by academic [[whistleblower]]s in as many as 65 of Aggarwal's published papers, with the allegations involving images that had been reused and [[Scientific misconduct#Photo manipulation|manipulated]] to represent different results.<ref name="Ackerman"/><ref name="Scientist1">{{cite journal|last1=Grens|first1=Kerry|title=Author Nets Seven Retractions|journal=[[The Scientist (magazine)|The Scientist]]|date=February 22, 2016|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45417/title/Author-Nets-Seven-Retractions/|accessdate=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="BioTx"/> He retired at the end of 2015; his departure was not made public until February 2016.<ref name=HC1/><ref name=oransky/>

As of 2023, 30 papers published by Aggarwal have been [[Retractions in academic publishing|retracted]], ten others have received an expression of concern, and 17 others have been corrected.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Marcus |first1=Adam |title=Frankincense extract paper is 30th retracted by former MD Anderson researcher who once threatened to sue Retraction Watch |url=https://retractionwatch.com/2022/10/03/frankincense-extract-paper-is-30th-retracted-by-former-md-anderson-researcher-who-once-threatened-to-sue-retraction-watch/#more-125742 |website=Retraction Watch |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=Center for Scientific Integrity |access-date=2022-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Retraction Watch Database – Bharat Aggarwal |url=http://retractiondatabase.org/RetractionSearch.aspx#?auth%3dAggarwal%252c%2bBharat%2bB |website=Retraction Watch |publisher=Center for Scientific Integrity |accessdate=2023-01-06}}</ref>

==Career==
Aggarwal holds a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree from the [[University of Delhi]] (1970), a [[Master of Science]] degree from [[Banaras Hindu University]] (1972) and a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] degree from the [[University of California, Berkeley]] (1977), all in [[biochemistry]]. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the [[University of California, San Francisco]] and was employed as a scientist at [[Genentech]] from 1980 to 1989, where his team characterized the cytokines [[TNF-alpha]] and [[lymphotoxin alpha|TNF-beta]]. Aggarwal was Chief of the Cytokine Research Section, Department of Clinical Immunology, Bioimmunotherapy, Experimental Therapeutics at [[MD Anderson Cancer Center]] of the [[University of Texas]] in Houston from 1989 to 2015.<ref name="SciAm">{{cite journal|title=Spice Healer|last=Stix|first=Gary|journal=Scientific American|date=February 2007|volume=296|issue=2|pages=66–9|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0207-66|pmid=17367023|bibcode=2007SciAm.296b..66S}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2009-12/pioneering-biochemist-bharat-b-aggarwal-phd-md-anderson-cancer-center-discovering|title=Pioneering Biochemist Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD, of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, on Discovering Novel and Effective Cancer Treatments|first=Karolyn A.|last=Gazella|work=Natural Medicine Journal|date=December 2009|accessdate=March 25, 2015}}</ref>

Aggarwal's research has focused on potential [[anti-cancer]] properties of herbs and spices, particularly [[curcumin]], which is found in the spice turmeric.<ref name="SciAm"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/In-cancer-fight-a-spice-brings-hope-to-the-table-1913487.php|title=In cancer fight, a spice brings hope to the table|first=Todd|last=Ackerman |work=Houston Chronicle|date=July 11, 2005|accessdate=March 24, 2015}}</ref> In 2004 Aggarwal co-founded the company Curry Pharmaceuticals, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., which was seeking to develop drugs based on synthetic analogs of curcumin.<ref name="SciAm"/><ref name="Singh1">{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=Seema |title=From Exotic Spice to Modern Drug?|journal=[[Cell (journal)|Cell]]|date=September 7, 2007|volume=130|issue=5|pages=765–768|doi=10.1016/j.cell.2007.08.024|pmid=17803897|s2cid=16044143 |doi-access=free}}</ref> SignPath Pharma, a company seeking to develop liposomal formulations of curcumin, in 2013 licensed three patents from Aggarwal related to that approach.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baum |first1=Stephanie |title=Biotech startup raises $1M for lung cancer treatment using component of tumeric [sic] |url=https://medcitynews.com/2013/03/biotech-startup-raises-1m-for-lung-cancer-treatment-using-component-of-tumeric/ |work=Med City News |date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>

==Scientific misconduct==
In 2012, MD Anderson initiated a review of Aggarwal's research after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' [[Office of Research Integrity]] notified the institution that academic whistleblowers had found evidence of [[Scientific misconduct#Photo manipulation|image manipulation]] in 65 published papers by Aggarwal.<ref name="Ackerman">{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/M-D-Anderson-professor-under-fraud-probe-3360037.php|title=M.D. Anderson professor under fraud probe|first=Todd|last=Ackerman|date=February 24, 2012|work=Houston Chronicle|accessdate=March 24, 2015}}</ref><ref name="DH1">{{cite news|title=Prominent Indian-American researcher under probe|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/229961/prominent-indian-american-researcher-probe.html|accessdate=October 10, 2016|publisher=[[Deccan Herald]]|date=February 25, 2012}}</ref>

In 2013, Aggarwal's lawyer proposed legal action against the blog [[Retraction Watch]] after they reported several of Aggarwal's article corrections and retractions;<ref name="USCA">{{cite news|last1=Heisel|first1=William|title=Doctor Goes After Retraction Watch, Unleashes Streisand Effect|url=http://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/2013/04/18/doctor-goes-after-retraction-watch-unleashes-streisand-effect|accessdate=October 6, 2016|publisher=[[USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism]] – Center for Health Journalism|date=April 19, 2013}}</ref> no such lawsuit was ever realized. In February 2016, the journal ''[[Biochemical Pharmacology (journal)|Biochemical Pharmacology]]'' retracted seven of Aggarwal's research articles, six of which had Aggarwal as senior or first author,<ref name="BioTx">{{cite journal|last1=Nybo|first1=Kristie|title=Seven Papers Retracted for Lack of Data Integrity|journal=[[BioTechniques]]|date=February 24, 2016|url=http://www.biotechniques.com/news/biotechniquesNews/biotechniques-363309.html|accessdate=October 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012075625/http://www.biotechniques.com/news/biotechniquesNews/biotechniques-363309.html|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> because "the data integrity has become questionable."<ref name="Scientist1"/> Also in February 2016, MD Anderson Cancer Center confirmed that Aggarwal had retired from the Center on December 31, 2015.<ref name="oransky">{{Cite web|title = Journal retracts 7 papers by MD Anderson cancer researcher long under investigation|last=Oransky|first=Ivan|url = http://retractionwatch.com/2016/02/22/journal-retracts-7-papers-by-md-anderson-researcher-long-under-investigation/|work = Retraction Watch|access-date = 2016-02-24|date=2016-02-22}}</ref><ref name="HC1">{{cite news|last1=Ackerman|first1=Todd|title=M.D. Anderson scientist, accused of manipulating data, retires|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/M-D-Anderson-scientist-accused-of-falsifying-6865704.php|accessdate=October 6, 2016|publisher=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010052727/http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/M-D-Anderson-scientist-accused-of-falsifying-6865704.php|archivedate=October 10, 2016}}</ref>

In June 2016, following an investigation by MD Anderson Cancer Center, the journal ''[[Molecular Pharmacology]]'' retracted two of Aggarwal's papers, citing “inappropriate” or “unacceptable” image manipulation.<ref name="Scientist2">{{cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Tanya|title=More Retractions for Cancer Researcher|journal=[[The Scientist (magazine)|The Scientist]]|date=June 22, 2016|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/46394/title/More-Retractions-for-Cancer-Researcher/|accessdate=October 10, 2016}}</ref> By April 2018, 19 of Aggarwal's articles, published in seven research journals, had been retracted.<ref name=orensky2018>{{cite news |title=Caught Our Notice: Researcher who once threatened to sue Retraction Watch now up to 19 retractions |url=https://retractionwatch.com/2018/04/10/caught-our-notice-researcher-who-once-threatened-to-sue-retraction-watch-now-up-to-19-retractions/#more-63985 |work=Retraction Watch |date=10 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="Scientist1"/><ref name="RW1">{{cite web|title=Seven retractions for prominent cancer researcher brings total to 18|url=http://retractionwatch.com/category/by-author/bharat-aggarwal/|publisher=[[Retraction Watch]]|accessdate=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="HC1"/> In September 2018, an additional nine articles by Aggarwal were retracted in journals published by the American Association for Cancer Research.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Publisher's Note |journal=Cancer Research |volume=78 |issue=17 |pages=5178 |publisher=AACR Publications |doi=10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-2438 |year=2018 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In February 2018, a cancer conference in [[Chennai, India]], co-organized by Aggarwal was promoted with the false claim that it was co-sponsored by the MD Anderson Cancer Center.<ref name="RW020518">{{cite web |last1=Oransky |first1=Ivan |title=MD Anderson: No, we did not co-sponsor this cancer conference |url=https://retractionwatch.com/2018/02/05/md-anderson-no-we-did-not-co-sponsor-this-cancer-conference/ |publisher=[[Retraction Watch]] |accessdate=January 9, 2019 |date=February 5, 2018}}</ref><ref name="NIE020418">{{cite news |last1=Unni |first1=Anagha |title=After 'cancer is karma' remark, Baba Ramdev to inaugurate research conference at IIT Madras |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/feb/04/after-cancer-is-karma-remark-baba-ramdev-to-inaugurate-research-conference-at-iit-madras-1768314.html |access-date=January 9, 2019 |publisher=[[Indian Express]] |date=February 4, 2018}}</ref><ref name="NI041318">{{cite web |last1=Chu |first1=Will |title=Curcumin trial retraction latest in long line for retired researcher |url=https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2018/04/12/Curcumin-trial-retraction-latest-in-long-line-for-retired-researcher |publisher=NutraIngredients |accessdate=January 9, 2019 |date=April 13, 2018}}</ref>

==Books==
* {{cite book|title=Healing Spices: How to Use 50 Everyday and Exotic Spices to Boost Health and Beat Disease|first1=Bharat B.|last1=Aggarwal|first2=Debora|last2=Yost|date=2011|publisher=Sterling|isbn=978-1402776632|url=https://archive.org/details/healingspiceshow00bhar|url-access=registration}}

== See also ==
* [[Scientific misconduct]]
* [[List of scientific misconduct incidents]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150812084208/http://faculty.mdanderson.org/bharat_aggarwal/ Former MD Anderson Cancer Center profile], archived August 12, 2015

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aggarwal, Bharat}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American biochemists]]
[[Category:American academics of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University alumni]]
[[Category:Cancer researchers]]
[[Category:Indian biochemists]]
[[Category:People involved in scientific misconduct incidents]]
[[Category:UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni]]
[[Category:Delhi University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center faculty]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]

Bharat Aggarwal - Revision history

Ritesh Gandhi at 00:02, 11 June 2025