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THE journal Nature has published a correction to a high-profile stem cell paper following questions raised by New Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ.

In 2002, Catherine Verfaillie and her team described stem cells from mouse bone marrow that appeared to be as versatile as embryonic stem cells (Nature, vol 418, p 41). In 2006 New Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ queried plots describing characteristics of the cells’ surfaces, and this year, after an inquiry by the University of Minnesota, Verfaillie wrote to Nature to caution that these results were flawed (New Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ, 17 February, p 12). Nature has now issued a correction, though it says the paper’s original conclusions still stand.

Further questions surround a 2001 paper in Blood (vol 98, p 2615), describing similar cells from human volunteers. This year New Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ revealed (24 March, p 12) that this contains images used in a US patent to describe other results. On 9 May Blood posted a warning about the apparent duplications, which it says are under review.