Tokyo, Japan - When researchers made the announcement earlier this year, scientists around the world were stunned and thrilled in turn. A Japanese scientist had discovered a radical new method to transform ordinary cells into potent stem cells - the cell with the ability to become any other cell types. However, the thrill quickly faded as the serious questions were raised over the research methodology - even though the discovery was at the time considered a breakthrough in advancing regenerative medicine and the replacement of diseased organs. Haruko Obokata, a 31-year-old scientist, became an overnight media star in Japan, and not just for her game-changing discovery of stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells, which she claimed had the ability to turn into any type of cell in the body. The press made much of Obokatas stylish appearance, noting her distinctive touches in the laboratory - such as having the lab walls painted pink and yellow; and her choice of wearing a kappogi, a Japanese sleeveless cooking smock instead of a white lab coat, which sent sales of the garment soaring. Her fame continued to rise, that is until her research came under scrutiny. Black eye for science The new method was described in two papers written by Obokata, the lead author, and colleagues at Japans RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) and other institutions, and published online by the journal Nature on January 29. The procedure astonished scientists around the world because it ran counter to most assumptions on cell biology and was far simpler than existing methods for obtaining stem cells. Its contributing to a broader, harmful perception that stem cell research is disproportionately linked to controversy and scandals. - Paul Knoepfler, University of California, Davis But the story took a turn after a number of bizarre twists, including charges of research misconduct that resulted in Nature retracting the article on July 2. The outcome is another black eye for science and stem cell research in particular. aljazeera/indepth/features/2014/07/how-japan-stem-cell-study-became-scandal-201477151852660564.html
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:11:15 +0000
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