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World-renowned stem cell scientist found dead in lab
The two papers, both published in the journal Nature in January 2014 [and retracted in July], had suggested that stem cells could be produced from normal adult cells by dipping them into acid for a 30-minute shock period.
Although the study's first author, Dr Haruko Obokata, was found guilty of misconduct, Prof Sasai was cleared of direct involvement. He was criticised, however, for his supervision of Dr Obokata and for not spotting inconsistencies in the publications.
A fellow stem-cell researcher quoted by the BBC said that overlooking the study's problems was uncharacteristic of the "normally cautious" professor, so something may have already been awry. The CBC said of more recent months [www.cbc.ca]:
Sasai's health had deteriorated over the past few months, and he had been receiving medical treatment. [RIKEN spokesman] Kagaya said that Sasai started looking depressed in May, and that the two had hardly seen each other recently. "He seemed exhausted. I could tell he was tired even on the phone," Kagaya said, referring to one of his last conversations with Sasai.
Prof. Obokata, the researcher he was supervising, has been "in and out of the hospital" this year due to unspecified mental health problems. She reacted to news of his death with "shock," and RIKEN has supportive colleagues plus a medical team "monitoring her around the clock."
The BBC indicated Prof. Sasai's death reportedly pushed scientists to denounce the reaction earlier this year to "irregular results" as being non-"proportionate" to the point of qualifying as a "witch-hunt." They also expressed concern about the role of "the damaging effect of the fierce competition that pervades science, heaping pressure on both junior and senior researchers," though nothing was said on the effect being greater in Japan/Asia than elsewhere.
