Abstract
In 2014, Obokata and colleagues reported their observation of a novel cell reprogramming phenomenon they named 'stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency' (STAP). The most conclusive evidence for the pluripotency of so-called STAP cells was the purported ability of such cells to contribute to chimera formation. Here, I report the results of an attempt by Haruko Obokata to replicate the phenomenon under the supervision of the Scientific Validity Examination Team of RIKEN. In this follow-up study, putative STAP cells prepared by Haruko Obokata were injected into 1051 embryos, of which 591 were recovered. However, the injected cells made no significant contribution in any tissue in any of the embryos that developed.
Highlights
Induced pluripotent stem cells, first reported by Takahashi and Yamanaka using a combination of exogenous genetic factors, have transformed our understanding of the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular pluripotency and differentiation (Takahashi & Yamanaka, 2006)
The present article reports the results of a study conducted by Haruko Obokata in the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), which was designed to determine whether the stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) phenomenon was reproducible
The present study focused on assessing pluripotency by chimera production using cell aggregates prepared by Obokata; no evidence of pluripotency was observed using this assay
Summary
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), first reported by Takahashi and Yamanaka using a combination of exogenous genetic factors, have transformed our understanding of the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying cellular pluripotency and differentiation (Takahashi & Yamanaka, 2006). This discovery raised the possibility that cellular reprogramming may be induced by activating endogenous pluripotency genes under certain conditions. The present article reports the results of a study conducted by Haruko Obokata in the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB), which was designed to determine whether the STAP phenomenon was reproducible. In the Scientific Validity Examination Team, Hitoshi Niwa, one of the coauthors of the Nature papers, conducted an independent examination of whether the STAP phenomenon was reproducible; the results of his examination have been reported previously (Niwa, 2016)
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