STAP cells

STAP cells (Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency) were a controversial type of stem cell reported in 2014, created by applying mild stress to ordinary cells, such as stomach or skin cells, to revert them into pluripotent cells capable of becoming any cell type. This process, if reliable, would have been simpler and cheaper than existing methods to generate stem cells for medical research. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the original experiments were invalid, and the existence of authentic STAP cells was discredited. The controversy highlighted the importance of scientific reproducibility and integrity.