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Credit: NIH
A group of researchers who tried, and failed, to replicate the STAP cell phenomenon have detailed their work in F1000Research.
Kenneth Ka Ho Lee, PhD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and his colleagues attempted to create STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells using the method described in a recent Nature paper.
The paper’s authors had reported they could induce pluripotency in somatic cells by bathing them in acid.
However, not long after the paper and a related letter were published, members of the scientific community voiced concerns about the publications—such as suspicions of plagiarism and the possibility of doctored images—and began to question the findings.
Then, an investigation by the Japanese research institute RIKEN (where many of the researchers are employed) suggested that at least some of the paper’s authors were guilty of misconduct and/or negligence.
However, the study’s lead author, Haruko Obokata, PhD, has maintained that, despite errors in the paper, STAP cells can be created.
Dr Lee’s experiments suggest otherwise—or at least that the cells cannot be created using the methods outlined in the Nature paper.
Dr Lee and his colleagues reported that carefully replicating the original acid-treatment method does not induce pluripotency in 2 types of mouse somatic cells.
Using both white blood cells isolated from the spleen of neonatal mice—the same cells used in the original study—and lung fibroblasts, the team was unable to replicate the original findings.
They’ve published a full account of this work in F1000Research. The journal also employs open peer review by invited experts, which occurs after publication and is published in full online alongside the paper.
Dr Lee’s study will now undergo this process, and readers interested to see referees’ views as they come in can follow the paper by clicking “Track” on the published article. 
Credit: NIH
A group of researchers who tried, and failed, to replicate the STAP cell phenomenon have detailed their work in F1000Research.
Kenneth Ka Ho Lee, PhD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and his colleagues attempted to create STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells using the method described in a recent Nature paper.
The paper’s authors had reported they could induce pluripotency in somatic cells by bathing them in acid.
However, not long after the paper and a related letter were published, members of the scientific community voiced concerns about the publications—such as suspicions of plagiarism and the possibility of doctored images—and began to question the findings.
Then, an investigation by the Japanese research institute RIKEN (where many of the researchers are employed) suggested that at least some of the paper’s authors were guilty of misconduct and/or negligence.
However, the study’s lead author, Haruko Obokata, PhD, has maintained that, despite errors in the paper, STAP cells can be created.
Dr Lee’s experiments suggest otherwise—or at least that the cells cannot be created using the methods outlined in the Nature paper.
Dr Lee and his colleagues reported that carefully replicating the original acid-treatment method does not induce pluripotency in 2 types of mouse somatic cells.
Using both white blood cells isolated from the spleen of neonatal mice—the same cells used in the original study—and lung fibroblasts, the team was unable to replicate the original findings.
They’ve published a full account of this work in F1000Research. The journal also employs open peer review by invited experts, which occurs after publication and is published in full online alongside the paper.
Dr Lee’s study will now undergo this process, and readers interested to see referees’ views as they come in can follow the paper by clicking “Track” on the published article.
Credit: NIH
A group of researchers who tried, and failed, to replicate the STAP cell phenomenon have detailed their work in F1000Research.
Kenneth Ka Ho Lee, PhD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and his colleagues attempted to create STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) cells using the method described in a recent Nature paper.
The paper’s authors had reported they could induce pluripotency in somatic cells by bathing them in acid.
However, not long after the paper and a related letter were published, members of the scientific community voiced concerns about the publications—such as suspicions of plagiarism and the possibility of doctored images—and began to question the findings.
Then, an investigation by the Japanese research institute RIKEN (where many of the researchers are employed) suggested that at least some of the paper’s authors were guilty of misconduct and/or negligence.
However, the study’s lead author, Haruko Obokata, PhD, has maintained that, despite errors in the paper, STAP cells can be created.
Dr Lee’s experiments suggest otherwise—or at least that the cells cannot be created using the methods outlined in the Nature paper.
Dr Lee and his colleagues reported that carefully replicating the original acid-treatment method does not induce pluripotency in 2 types of mouse somatic cells.
Using both white blood cells isolated from the spleen of neonatal mice—the same cells used in the original study—and lung fibroblasts, the team was unable to replicate the original findings.
They’ve published a full account of this work in F1000Research. The journal also employs open peer review by invited experts, which occurs after publication and is published in full online alongside the paper.
Dr Lee’s study will now undergo this process, and readers interested to see referees’ views as they come in can follow the paper by clicking “Track” on the published article.