Breaking: Nature issues an Expression of Concern regarding a 1999 paper. The article, "En passant neurotrophic action of an intermediate axonal target in the developing mammalian CNS," faces scrutiny. The concern, issued today, stems from irregularities in figures.

Specifically, panels 5a and 5b of the paper show unexpectedly similar background regions. These panels depict tissue explants at 24 and 52 hours, respectively. Authors claim the panels illustrate axonal degeneration. Crucially, the original data is now unavailable, according to the authors.

Nature advises readers to interpret the paper's results with caution. The Expression of Concern highlights potential issues with data presentation. This impacts the reliability of the study's conclusions.

The 1999 paper explored how developing nerve cells are guided to their targets. It investigated the role of intermediate targets in axonal growth. The research contributed to understanding nervous system development.

The scientific community will likely re-evaluate the paper's findings. Further research may be needed to validate the original conclusions. The Expression of Concern serves as a critical reminder of data integrity in scientific publishing.