A Japanese scientist behind a seemingly groundbreaking stem cell study says the findings should be withdrawn amid doubts over its quality.
It was reported in January that dipping cells in acid could cheaply and quickly convert them into stem cells. But questions were raised about the images used in the scientific report and other research groups have failed to reproduce the results.
Author Prof Teruhiko Wakayama said: “It is no longer clear what is right.”
The future of regenerative medicine is pinned on stem cells, which can transform into any other type of tissue. They are being investigated for restoring sight to the blind and repairing the damage caused by a heart attack.
Read the full, original story: Stem cells: Scientist asks for research to be withdrawn
Additional Resources:
- Call for acid-bath stem-cell paper to be retracted, Nature
- Retracted: Study That Found Acid Converts Blood Cells Into Stem Cells, Gizmodo
- One Author of a Startling Stem Cell Study Calls for Its Retraction, New York Times