A potentially major stem cell research finding in Japan may be false, reports say.
Riken Center for Developmental Biology, affiliated with the Japanese government, published a report in the journal Nature in January detailing their new findings. However, they couldn't replicate their results when asked to do so, according to The Associated Press.
The laboratory's journal retracted the publication last month because they still couldn't match the result, although scientists are still trying.
Nature tells FirstPost they plan to alter their procedures when reviewing submitted journals after letting this seemingly inaccurate one slip through.
The alleged falsity is a major letdown in the science community, as stem cells have immense potential for treating numerous diseases, including cancers.
"Riken said it would scale down to half its size the Center for Developmental Biology, rename the center and choose a new director with input from non-Japanese scientists, an indication of how the scandal has damaged the reputation of Japanese science," reports Nasdaq.
