A Japanese scientist who was among a team of researchers accused of falsifying the results of two stem cell studies committed suicide Tuesday at a government science institute in western Japan. Yoshiki Sasai, deputy director of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology, was found by a security guard at the Kobe facility with a rope around his neck, the Associated Press reports. Authorities said he had suffered from cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead two hours later. Sasai, 52, was considered an expert in embryonic stem cell research and co-authored two research papers published in January in the journal Nature that detailed a seemingly groundbreaking method of harvesting stem cells to grow new human tissue. Sasai and lead author Haruko Obokata reported having successfully altered ordinary mouse cells into versatile stem cells by immersing them in a mildly acidic solution. The resulting cells were named stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells. The studies were initially praised as being on the cutting edge of stem cell treatment, but were quickly disputed when other scientists could not replicate the experimental procedure. The papers were retracted six months later after the journal found they contained erroneous data, among other flaws. Scientists at RIKEN … Continue reading →

USAPANG CELL at stem cell. Kuwento ito mismo ni Lolit Solis tungkol sa kanyang ikalawang stem cell treatment sa Germany kamakailan, kasamang muli ang alagang si Lorna Tolentino. Like the first stem cell treatment she underwent more than a year ago, hindi ikinakailamuch less ikinahihiyani Nay Lolit na amining courtesy of her friend Dra. Vicki Belo ang milyong piso ring halaga ng nasabing medical breakthrough. Malaki ang iginanda ng kundisyong pisikal ng talent manager-TV host makaraan ng unang gamutan. Mas gumaan daw ang kanyang pakiramdam. But her diabetesthat manifested when she turned more than 60became burdensome sa puntong kinailangan na niyang mag-insulin. Ito ang itinuturong culprit ni Nay Lolit kung bakit bagamat matagumpay naman ang kanyang ikalawang stem cell treatment ay nawalan siya raw ng malay nang makauwi nat nagpapahinga sa kanyang West Fairview residence. Dahil naalarma ang kanyang mga kaibigan most specially in showbiz, there was a seemingly endless barrage of phone calls after she regained her consciousness. A concerned Bong Revillaalso her wardrang her up. Tanong daw nang tanong ang senador kung anong nangyari kay Nay Lolit at kung ano ang kailangan nito. Moments later, ang nasa kabilang linya naman daw ng telepono ay si Jinggoy Estrada, na … Continue reading →

A Japanese researcher at the centre of discredited research that was initially hailed as a potential breakthrough for stem-cell treatment, killed himself after months of stress and exhaustion, officials said on Tuesday. Yoshiki Sasai, co-author of the high-profile research that had seemed to offer hope for replacing damaged cells or even growing new human organs, was found early on Tuesday at the Riken institute where he worked in Kobe, western Japan, police and the institute said. It is confirmed as a suicide, said a police spokesman. It was a hanging. Sasai, 52, had been hospitalized in March for stress and become less receptive to media inquiries during the controversy over the teams research, said Riken spokesman Satoru Kagaya. The scientist had seemed completely exhausted in their last phone conversation around May or June, Kagaya told a televised news conference. As deputy director of Rikens Center for Developmental Biology, Sasai supervised the work of lead author Haruko Obokata, which took the world of molecular biology by storm when it was published in the British journal Nature in January. It was retracted after months of controversy that made front-page news in Japan and tarnished the countrys reputation for scientific research. The journals … Continue reading →

Yoshiki Sasai, who was embroiled in a stem-cell scandal, committed suicide He was found with a rope around his neck at science institute Riken in Japan Mr Sasai, 52, was deputy chief of Riken's Center for Developmental Biology He co-authored stem-cell research papers with falsified contents By Ted Thornhill Published: 06:20 EST, 5 August 2014 | Updated: 13:25 EST, 5 August 2014 A senior Japanese scientist embroiled in a stem-cell research scandal died on Tuesday in an apparent suicide, police said. Yoshiki Sasai, who supervised and co-authored stem-cell research papers that had to be retracted due to falsified contents, was found suffering from cardiac arrest at the government-affiliated science institute Riken in Kobe, in western Japan, according to Hyogo prefectural police. Sasai, 52, was deputy chief of Riken's Center for Developmental Biology. Scroll down for video Tragic:Yoshiki Sasai, who was embroiled in a stem-cell scandal, committed suicide and was found with a rope around his neck at his place of work A security guard found him with a rope around his neck, according to Riken. Sasai was rushed to a hospital, but was pronounced dead two hours later. Police and Riken said Sasai left what appeared to be suicide notes, … Continue reading →