Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 4 hrs ago
Antibody concerns raised over 54 cell-ageing studies, including five Korean papers
Researchers questioned antibody use in 54 cell-ageing papers, including five involving Korean research teams.
The concern, reported in October, is that the studies may have used antibodies aimed at an enzyme from bacteria to detect a similar enzyme in mammalian cells.
Antibodies are used in biological experiments to identify specific proteins, and a poor match can make results less reliable or harder to reproduce.
The effect on each paper's conclusions remains uncertain, and each study needs separate assessment.
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine said the questioned data were supplementary and had little effect on their paper's conclusions.
They plan to repeat experiments without the antibody and use the results to decide whether any further action is needed.
The concerns come amid wider questions about the reliability of antibody validation images: researchers have flagged more than 18,000 potentially questionable images across products from 15 companies.
Nature reported that 54 cell-ageing studies may have used antibodies unsuitable for their experimental purpose, including five papers involving South Korean researchers.
The concern involves antibodies intended to detect beta-galactosidase from bacteria, which may not recognize the enzyme in mammalian cells.
The suitability of the antibodies and their effect on each study’s findings require further verification.
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine said the data from the antibody were supplementary and planned to check reproducibility through a new experiment.
Researchers have also raised concerns about more than 18,000 potentially suspicious images in antibody product catalogs from 15 companies.
- Who
- Researchers identified by independent researcher Sholto David and reported on by Nature; five of the papers involved South Korean researchers.
- What
- Questions were raised about whether antibodies used in 54 cell-ageing studies were suitable for their experiments.
- When
- Nature reported the findings in August; the article was published on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- The studies included research by teams affiliated with South Korean institutions.
- Why
- The antibodies targeted beta-galactosidase from bacteria and may be unlikely to recognize the enzyme in mammalian cells.
Nature and independent researcher Sholto David
South Korean researchers involved in a paper
Antibody suitability
Nature and independent researcher Sholto David
The papers were suspected of using antibodies that may not recognize beta-galactosidase in mammalian cells.
South Korean researchers involved in a paper
The researchers said they chose the antibody based on earlier studies and information from the supplier.
Impact on findings
Nature and independent researcher Sholto David
The concern could affect the reliability and reproducibility of the studies, though each paper needs individual review.
South Korean researchers involved in a paper
The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine researchers said the antibody data were supplementary and had little effect on the paper’s conclusions.
A paper by researchers at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine was published in npj Aging.
Researchers questioned the authenticity of more than 100 validation Western blot images in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s antibody catalog.
Nature reported that independent researcher Sholto David had identified suspected unsuitable antibody use in 54 cell-ageing papers.
Researchers reported finding more than 18,000 suspicious images in products from 15 companies.
The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine researchers planned to repeat the experiment without using the antibody.
- Studies questioned
- 54 cell-ageing papers
- South Korean papers
- 5
- Antibody target
- Beta-galactosidase from bacteria
- Suspicious catalog images
- More than 18,000
- Companies with flagged images
- 15 companies