The editor of The Lancet has banned members of international aid group Doctors Without Borders (Medicins sans Frontieres or MSF in French) from publishing articles in the journal, according to a story in Science magazine today (Feb. 1). Did members of the aid organization break an embargo? Fail to disclose conflicts of interest? Fabricate data? Nope. They just posted a critique of some Lancet articles on their website.

In what's shaping up to be an ugly spat, Lancet editor Richard Horton told Science that the medical journal has "put our relationship with MSF on hold until I have a clear response about how this could have happened."

MSF criticized a series of articles on curbing malnutrition published in the Jan. 19th issue of The Lancet for, among other shortcomings, not including enough information about ready-made, high-protein therapeutic foods that MSF and other aid organizations distribute to combat acute cases of malnutrition. The MSF critique reads, in part, "Because of weaknesses in analysis and outmoded recommendations, the series is undermining efforts to promote urgently needed change."

Horton shot back in the Science story: "MSF has punctured the beginning of an advocacy based on the best science."