A Japanese scientist involved in a breakthrough that has been described as a “game changer” for stem cell research says he now doubts the credibility of the findings.
The paper, which was published in January, describes a revolutionary technique to generate stem cells from adult blood cells.
Rather than relying on complex genetic techniques, the study suggested that it is possible to generate stem cells by placing adult blood cells in a mild citric acid for 25 minutes. The result was heralded as the start of a new era in regenerative medicine.
One of the paper’s authors, Professor Teruhiko Wakayama, has told The Times however that he has since been unable to replicate the results in his own laboratory.
“I and my new lab at…