Unifferentiated Cells - 915 Words

In the Nature paper â€Å"Bidirectional developmental potential in reprogrammed cells with acquired pluripotency†, published in 2014 and now retracted, Haruko Obokata et al. described a new methodology for the conversion of somatic cells into pluripotent cells, without genetic manipulation or DNA transfer. Somatic cells were subjected to sublethal stimuli and, therefore, named â€Å"stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency† (STAP). The research consisted in introducing mouse somatic cells into a very acidic solution (low pH) or subjecting the external cell membranes to pressure. These stressful environmental stimuli led the somatic cells to a cell reprogramming. Obokata and colleagues, therefore, presented a fast, simple and cheap method of†¦show more content†¦On June 4, 2014, Obakata accepted the retraction of her 2 publications and Nature retracted the papers on July, 2014. After the great disappointment, the journal Nature investigated in depth its system of review and publication of articles. They found some inconsistencies in their system, which the worst consequence could be the loss of confidence in science by the citizens. Furthermore, the RIKEN centre also became the target of criticism, which focused on the lack of ethics and the decline of the institution in recent years. Yoshiki Sasai (co-author of the articles and Obakata’s supervisor), committed suicide in August, 2014 after months of criticism and accusations of fraud which led him to suffer of depression. He was not found guilty of misconduct, but he was seriously responsible for the incorrect verification of the data. In the suicide note that he addressed to Obokata, Sasai asked her to demonstrate the existence of somatic cells that could be easily transformed into stem cells. Obokata and the other authors recognized the existence of wide errors. However, Obokata continues claiming the existence of STAP. C) In 500 words maximum, write a summary of your views on the ethics and the personal motivation/psychology that drove Obokata to this level of misconduct. Additionally, what is your opinion on the institutional/scientific journal/media handling of this case? Haruko Obokata completed her masters degree in