Stem Cell Study Contained False Information
The University of Minnesota is asking that an article published by one of its researchers on adult stem cells be retracted, as the university concluded that falsified data were used in the experiment.
An 18-month investigation into research published by stem-cell expert Dr. Catherine Verfaillie cleared her of misconduct but points to a former graduate student, Dr. Morayma Reyes, who is now an assistant professor at the University of Washington.
Verfaillie is being blamed for "inadequate training and oversight," and the university says it has asked for a retraction of the published article, which appeared in the journal Blood.
Reyes maintains that it was an honest error and there was no malicious intent to deceive.
Verfaillie published a series of the studies in 2001, suggesting that adult stem cells could be used as an alternative to embryonic stem cells in medical research.
She soon received international attention for her research because of political and ethical controversies over research involving embryonic stem cells. But Tim Mulcahy, the university’s vice president of research, said a panel of experts concluded that four images used in the Blood paper were intentionally altered.
Verfaillie, who now lives in Belgium, could not be reached for comment.
Reyes, however, said the correction in the journal Blood is warranted. However, she denied falsifying data.
The university panel claims she falsified data by adjusting brightness and contrast in scientific images included in the article. She said at the time the research was done, that was an accepted practice but it has since changed. The panel judged her on the newer standard.
The errors occurred because of "inexperience, poor training and lack of clear standards" on the handling of digital images, Reyes said. "I regret very much these errors and never had the intention to deceive."
But Reyes also said they in no way altered the conclusions of the paper, and the research has since been successfully reproduced by other scientists.
“It’s not clear how, or if, the discovery will affect the underlying findings of the research. That’s an issue that ultimately the scientific community will have to resolve for itself,” Mulcahy said.
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