msommers
07-31-2014, 10:48 AM
Just heard about this today but for those following more closely, will know it happened almost two months ago.
Essentially what happened is one of Japan's top stem-cell researchers had fabricated claims of being able to bring animals cells into an embryonic state, which is most ideal as their differentiation potential is much greater and can develop into almost every type of cell in the human body vs. adult stem-cells which are significantly more limited.
The work would have been groundbreaking. Despite the misconduct and retraction in Nature's journal, they're still remaining positive that these cells can be brought into an embryonic state via fairly simple means of mechanical stress or mild acid bath. The company was doing its own investigation after images in a presentation didn't line up, but additionally other groups were trying to replicate her work after its release and were unable to do so, which appears to have prompted further doubt.
To me, it's pretty amazing that they slid by so many high-end scientific bodies but if you're manipulating the data on ground-breaking work that likely the peer-reviewers are unaware of yet, I guess what can you do. But at least it was caught and done so quite quickly.
http://www.nature.com/news/stem-cell-scientist-found-guilty-of-misconduct-1.14974
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28124749
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/japanese-scientist-retracts-stem-cell-papers-amid-claims-she-fabricated-results/article18982129/
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304819004579490513498852696
Essentially what happened is one of Japan's top stem-cell researchers had fabricated claims of being able to bring animals cells into an embryonic state, which is most ideal as their differentiation potential is much greater and can develop into almost every type of cell in the human body vs. adult stem-cells which are significantly more limited.
The work would have been groundbreaking. Despite the misconduct and retraction in Nature's journal, they're still remaining positive that these cells can be brought into an embryonic state via fairly simple means of mechanical stress or mild acid bath. The company was doing its own investigation after images in a presentation didn't line up, but additionally other groups were trying to replicate her work after its release and were unable to do so, which appears to have prompted further doubt.
To me, it's pretty amazing that they slid by so many high-end scientific bodies but if you're manipulating the data on ground-breaking work that likely the peer-reviewers are unaware of yet, I guess what can you do. But at least it was caught and done so quite quickly.
http://www.nature.com/news/stem-cell-scientist-found-guilty-of-misconduct-1.14974
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28124749
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/japanese-scientist-retracts-stem-cell-papers-amid-claims-she-fabricated-results/article18982129/
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304819004579490513498852696