Echos of Hwang in Minneapolis?

Or, stem cell problems in the Twin Cities?

In what may seem reminiscent of Dr Hwang Woosuk's fall from grace a few years ago, the University of Minnesota has asked that an academic paper published in 2001 be retracted. They say there were mistakes, but no attempt to deceive. From the article:

The study was one of a series that Verfaillie published, suggesting that adult stem cells could be used as an alternative to embryonic stem cells in medical research.

Her research received international attention because of political and ethical controversies over research involving embryonic stem cells. A panel of experts concluded that four images used in the Blood paper were intentionally altered, according to Tim Mulcahy, the university's vice president of research.

As I suggested back then, what happened with Hwang was an embarrassment for Korea, but it's not as if the so-called "advanced countries" are free of these problems (including earlier earlier problems faced by Dr Hwang's American partner, Dr Gerald Schatten). Dr Verfaillie's research was at the center of a maelstrom of political storm surrounding stem cells and ethical issues that pitted religious pro-lifers against much of the scientific community. Falsified data distorted the discussion to a high degree.