Article prompts inquiry into U of M stem cell study
A British magazine's doubts over stem cell images at a University of Minnesota research center has promoted an inquiry into a paper published by one of its scientists late last year.
In an August article, the New Scientist raised concerns about papers written by researchers affiliated with the university's Stem Cell Institute.
The magazine contends that one of the papers, written by researcher Jizhen Lin, seems to contain duplicated and manipulated images.
"The question is whether images of gels documenting the activity of various genes have been spliced together, and whether some bands on the gels have been duplicated," the magazine said. "In one case, an entire gel appears to have been used twice to describe results for different genes."
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The paper, published in December in the American Journal of Physiology -- Cell Physiology, explores how stem cells from the inner ears of lab mice can give rise to neurons and specialized "hair cells" that detect sound waves, according to the magazine article.
University officials confirmed they are examining Lin's work, but offered few details because the inquiry is ongoing.
"When there is an allegation of misconduct, we examine the evidence thoroughly and fairly, taking appropriate action to ensure that our standard of conduct is upheld and that the integrity of the scientific record is protected," university spokesman Daniel Wolter said in a statement.
This is not the first time the magazine's concerns have prompted an inquiry at the Stem Cell Institute.
Two previous inquiries have led to three papers being corrected, one being retracted and a finding of misconduct against a former doctoral student at the university, according to the New Scientist article.
"It's pretty discouraging," Arnold Kriegstein, a stem cell biologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the New Scientist. "It raises serious issues about how widespread this could be."
