WASHINGTON – Seven laboratories have confirmed that a type of stem cell said to have been discovered by a Japanese scientist in now-retracted papers could not be reproduced, despite over 100 attempts, according to research published Wednesday.
The British science journal Nature said the reanalysis of so-called STAP cells “provides a strong example of the self-correcting nature of science.”
The journal printed papers in January 2014 in which a little-known scientist of Japan’s Riken research institute, Haruko Obokata, among other scientists, revealed the discovery of a type of cell they said was capable of forming any type of mouse tissues.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.