Stem cell biology — Acid treatment to make STAP stem cells

Cells prepared by the STAP method would be pluripotent and contribute to chimeric embryos, as Obokata et al. (2014) reported.

Under supervision by RIKEN, the original author prepared STAP cells that were injected into 1,051 embryos. Of the 591 recovered, none showed a significant contribution from the injected cells.

Why it matched: same research area · similar wording

Cells with trisomy 21 would show Gene Expression Dysregulated Domains, alternating chromosome segments of higher and lower expression, as Letourneau et al. reported in twins discordant for Down syndrome.

Reanalysis of the original group's stem cell RNA-seq data, and of earlier data from the same twins, did not find these domains. Analysis of Ts65Dn mouse fibroblasts also did not confirm them.

Why it matched: similar wording · mechanism: Fibrosis & stroma · failed the same way: Held in the model species, not beyond it

ZBTB38, a transcription factor highly expressed in germinal centre B cells and plasma cells, would be needed for normal antibody responses, as related family members are.

Mice lacking ZBTB38 in blood cells had normal germinal centre B cell numbers, normal antibody responses after immunisation, and normal memory B cell recall. Very few genes changed in B cells without ZBTB38.

Why it matched: similar wording · failed the same way: Held in the model species, not beyond it

A mouse model of breast cancer driven by polyoma middle T antigen would reproduce the systemic changes in monocytes seen in human breast cancer, making it a usable model for studying them.

Tumour-bearing mice did show more monocytes in bone marrow, blood and spleen, from faster proliferation, and transcriptional changes in classical monocytes led by down-regulated type I interferon signalling and antigen presentation. But these transcriptome changes did not match those found in patients with breast cancer.

Why it matched: failed the same way: Held in the model species, not beyond it