Eggs and ethics in stem cell research

In this week's BioNews, we report on the ethical controversy that has lead to embryo stem cell pioneer Woo Suk Hwang resigning from his public positions - including that as chair of the World Stem Cell Hub, launched with much fanfare last month. What exactly did Hwang do wrong, and what do the revelations mean for stem cell research worldwide?

In 2004, Hwang's team succeeded where many other scientists had failed - they obtained a cell-line from a cloned human embryo. The advance, which some had claimed might be biologically impossible, paved the way for research into new treatments for a range of diseases. But shortly after the findings were published in the US journal Science, questions over the eggs used in the research were raised, in a Nature news report. It seemed that Hwang may have used eggs donated by a junior member of his team - an allegation that Hwang swiftly denied, with one Korean newspaper suggesting that it might be a case of 'sour grapes' on Nature's part.

That appeared to be the end of matter, and more groundbreaking studies soon followed, along with fruitful collaborations with other scientists worldwide - notably Gerald Schatten, of Pittsburgh University in the US. The World Stem Cell Hub was ready to launch the next phase of this work - a network of laboratories whose aim was to generate, store and distribute human embryonic stem cell (ES cell) lines to researchers throughout the world. But the future of this crucial project is now in doubt, after Schatten ended his collaboration with Hwang, following the discovery that eggs were indeed provided by junior researchers. In addition, some women were paid expenses of around £840 each to donate eggs for the project, a practice now banned by a Korean law that came into force at the beginning of this year - although it would still have been legal when the research was carried out.

Hwang says that he did not know at the time that eggs had been paid for, or that some had come from junior team members - an ethically dubious practice since the possibility for coercion exists. However, it seems that Hwang later found out where the eggs had come from, and lied when questioned about the issue subsequently. It is this betrayal of trust that appears to have triggered Schatten's decision to break off the collaboration, and has made several laboratories question their planned roles in the Stem Cell Hub. Despite the revelations, and Hwang's very public apology last week, scientists have been quick to point to the excellence of the work carried out at Seoul National University. But what will happen to this research now?

In South Korea, politicians and public alike have rallied to support Hwang. His status as a national hero is undiminished, and there are reports of hundreds of women offering to donate eggs to his research. Supporters say Hwang's work represents their 'only hope' for treating spinal cord injuries and other diseases, and also want Korea to maintain their position as world leaders in the field. This looks likely, and not just because of a ready supply of eggs - the Health Ministry has said the team will continue to receive $3 million annual funding.

But for stem cell research to truly progress, a global effort is required. Such work requires internationally recognised ethical standards, and needs to be carried out within a tight regulatory framework - such as that in place in the UK - to ensure public confidence. And the issue of obtaining eggs for ES cell research is one that urgently requires further debate, outside of the lab. Hwang's work has shown that using eggs from younger women can vastly improve the success rates in ES cell research. The challenge now facing scientists is how this can be achieved in an ethically acceptable manner. Finally, stem cell research needs adequate support and funding, from every government that is hoping its citizens will eventually benefit from the work. To deny millions of people the chance of better health certainly would be unethical.