Three Japanese scientists have released a detailed protocol explaining how to make stem cells with a simple acid bath. The protocol was made to boost clarity on a controversial and confusing scientific finding.
In January, Boston and Japanese scientists released the report that stem cells could be created in such a way to much controversy. Problems with images were revealed in one of the papers. Others have pointed out possible problems in online forums. The Japanese scientists have continued an investigation due to questions outside scientists have raised.
In Boston several scientists are working to repeat the technique. Dr. George Q. Daley, a stem cell scientist at Children's Hospital and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, is working with Dr. Charles Vacanti, anesthesiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and senior author of the paper describing the method. Despite doubts about the technique, Daley said he would like to see a focus on evidence rather than rumors.
"If the technique is robust and highly reproducible it will be replicated quickly," Daley wrote. "If there are subtleties and nuances of the technique, then it will take longer. Only time will tell, and this is how science works. If there is some fatal flaw in the technique, then it will be revealed in time. I am concerned about the rush to use blogging and social media to report early experience with a complex biological experiment. Most scientific experiments take time and many replications to work confidently, and early reporting may reflect a negative bias."
Vacanti said he plans to post a protocol for making the stem cells, called STAP cells, on his laboratory website within the next few days. He added that the methods posted by the Japanese RIKEN Institute and his three coauthors are somewhat different from the way it is done locally.
"I am hoping that what we post will be applicable on a broader scale," Vacanti wrote. "The technical details are such that what works well in one person's hands may not work as well when done by another person. We hope to post a protocol that will be most likely to work well regardless of who is doing it, and be translatable to multiple cell types and sources."
Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell scientist at the University of California, Davis, said there may be nuances in the technique and it may not work well with many types of cells.
"To paraphrase, I'd say the gist is, 'Caution: STAP cells are extremely difficult to make,'" Knoepfler wrote.
