Reports in Japan suggest Haruko Obokata, of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, has agreed to retract one of two controversial papers in which she claimed to have created a new type of stem cell, known as stimulus-triggered activation of pluripotency (STAP) cells. The development means that the path may now be clear for the full retraction of one of the biggest science papers of the year.
The studies, published in Nature in January, promised a surprisingly straightforward path to creating pluripotent stem cells, which can turn into any cell in the body, by stressing bodily cells with acid or physical pressure. Such an easy process for creating pluripotent stem cells would be a huge boon for biomedical research and potentially useful for clinical transplants.
Several of Obokata’s co-authors have stated their desire to retract the papers. But Obokata has adamantly stood by her research, insisting that the STAP phenomenon is real and defying RIKEN’s request to retract.
Read the full, original story: Lead author agrees to retract controversial stem cell paper
