時事通信社
新しい万能細胞「STAP（スタップ）細胞」の論文に掲載された画像と酷似していると指摘された別の論文の画像について、研究の中心となった理化学研究所の小保方（おぼかた）晴子ユニットリーダーが、2012年の内部の勉強会で使っていた可能性のあることがわかった。共著者の若山照彦・山梨大教授が3月11日、朝日新聞の取材に明らかにした。
若山さんは10日、当時の勉強会の資料を確認して気付いたという。「（画像取り違えのような）単純なミスと説明できなくなった。勉強会はプレッシャーもなく、気軽に話す場。失敗も含めて発表し、議論する。ショックだった」として、「これは撤回するしかないと思った」と話した。
(朝日新聞デジタル「酷似の画像、勉強会でも STAP細胞共著者の教授指摘」より 2014/03/11 16:41)
理研は論文の撤回を検討している。
■論文「撤回すべき理由ない」と共著者のハーバード大教授
一方、論文の別の共著者のアメリカ・ハーバード大学のチャールズ・バカンティ教授は3月10日、「（論文には）いくらか誤りもあったが、結論には影響がない」とし、「私が持っている情報に基づけば、これらの論文は取り下げなければならない理由は見当たらない」と語った。アメリカのウォールストリート・ジャーナル紙の取材に答えた。
バカンティ氏は10日、小保方氏と話したことを明らかにし、小保方氏も自身の研究内容を固守していると述べた。バカンティ氏は「これほど重要な論文が仲間からの圧力の結果、取り下げられるとなれば、とても悲しいことだ。データや結論が誠実で確かなものであるだけになおさらだ」と述べた。
（中略）小保方氏の研究を支持するバカンティ氏は「重要な手順に正確に従い、細心の注意を払えば、（STAP細胞の）作製はかなり容易だと確信している」と述べた。
(WSJ.com「理研『STAP細胞』論文取り下げ検討―ハーバード大教授は擁護 」より 2014/03/11 18:56)
バカンティ教授が所属するハーバード大医学部は10日、「いかなる懸念も精査する」として事実関係の調査を進めていることを明らかにした。
「最高水準の倫理と研究の整合性を維持するために全力を挙げている。われわれの注意を引くいかなる懸念も規則に基づいて精査する」とコメントし、事実関係の調査を進めていることを明らかにしました。
(NHKニュース「STAP細胞論文 ハーバード大も調査」より 2014/03/11 08:44)
STAP細胞の作製に関する論文は小保方さんとバカンティ教授が論文責任者となっており、バカンティ教授の同意なしには撤回は難しいという。
■文科相は論文取り下げ、再提出に賛同
下村博文・文部科学相は11日の会見で、論文をいったん撤回すべきだとの考えを示した。
下村博文文部科学相は11日午前の記者会見で「国内外からの疑義については研究者の方々が自ら払拭してほしい」と言及。理研が検討している論文の取り下げや再提出などに賛同する考えを示した。
(MSN産経ニュース「【ＳＴＡＰ細胞】風雲急！？文科相、論文取り下げ、再提出に賛意 官房長官も『事実明らかに』 」より 2014/03/11 12:00)
また、日本分子生物学会は11日に声明を出し、「残念ながら、今回の論文等に関しては、データ自体に多くの瑕疵が有り、その結論が科学的事実に基づき、十分に担保されているものとは言えません。また多くの作為的な改変は、単純なミスである可能性を遙かに超えており、多くの科学者の疑念を招いています」として、論文の撤回や再投稿、また検証を求めた。
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