"He's spent the last seven years of his lifetrying to confirm his original tests," Okunieffsaid. "He never could. That's seven years of hislife he used up."

Okunieff, who also tried unsuccessfully toverify Fossel's work, said he has no evidence theMedical School scientist committed actual researchfraud. But he said the results of Fossel's workare suspicious.

"The original data was so remarkably positivethat it's hard to believe it actually happened bychance," Okunieff said. He added that each timeanother scientist failed to verify the work,Fossel alleged the tests had not been reproducedaccurately.

"At the time, it was more than just strange,"Okunieff said. "He continuously came up withreasons why the data we were getting could beinvalid."

Okunieff and other cancer experts familiar withFossel's work suggest that the researcher did notnecessarily invent his data, but may have simplyoverlooked evidence that contradicted hishypothesis.

"Maybe he was so excited about the potentialfor this that he knew where he was going before hegot there," said Dr. Frank P. Castronovo Jr., anassociate professor of radiology at the Brighamand Women's Hospital.

Fossel's work, originally funded by a pair ofgrants from the National Institutes of Health, waslater supported by a private corporation thathoped to market the results.

The company, Boston-based Vital Sciences, Inc.,was founded by Dr. Tenley E. Albright '53-55, a1961 graduate of the Medical School and formerOlympic figure skater. Vital Sciences reportedlyinvested $9 million in Fossel's research.

The Globe reported that Vital Sciences did notrenew its contract with Fossel, which expired onOct. 31.

Albright, who is a surgeon, could not bereached for comment yesterday. As of yesterdaymorning she was in Atlanta, Ga., at a meeting ofthe American Heart Association. Vital SciencesChief Executive Officer Dwayne Mason, contacted athis home on Cape Cod yesterday, declined tocomment.

But James F. Myrtle, recently appointed vicepresident for sales and marketing at VitalSciences, said the company still has hopes forFossel's work.

"He's got some marvelous looking data," Myrtlesaid. "I've had an opportunity to look at some ofit and it's the best data I've seen for adiagnostic product."

Should Fossel's work be false, the impact onVital Sciences--which is funded by privateinvestors--would be "major," Myrtle said.

Joe Mathews contributed to the reporting ofthis story.