The Japanese researcher and lead author of two recent papers on groundbreaking stem cell research that have been called into question gave a co-author stem cells produced from mice of different genetic lines than originally asked for, officials with the government-backed Riken institute said.
The episode raises further questions about the quality of research conducted by Haruko Obokata, a unit leader at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology who claimed her team had found a new, simple way to produce stem cells — called STAP cells (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) — that can transform into any type of body tissue.
The papers, which appeared in the journal Nature in late January, have come under scrutiny due to a litany of problems, including images resembling those used in Obokata's doctoral dissertation in 2011. The revelations have prompted Obokata and other co-authors at Riken to agree to have the papers retracted.