The South Korean Health Ministry has rejected a licence application to carry out stem cell research made by the company owned by disgraced stem cell scientist, Hwang Woo-Suk, citing 'ethical problems'. The Suam Biotech Research Foundation had requested approval last December to resume its research on human stem cells following the scandal surrounding Hwang after he misled the international scientific community by claiming to be the first scientist in the world to successfully extract stem cells from a cloned human embryo. Hwang remains on trial in South Korean on allegations of fraud and embezzlement of state and private funds donated to his research.
'We have decided not to approve the request by the Suam Biotechnology Institute (SBI) to begin research on human embryonic stem cells (ES cells) for medical treatment purposes,' the ministry said in a statement: 'The decision was made as Hwang still stands on trial on charges that he violated the nation's bioethical laws and was fired from his school for paper fabrication and other unethical problems in obtaining eggs in relation to his research on stem cells in 2006.' The ministry followed the opinion of South Korea's National Bioethics Committee, which said it disapproved of allowing Hwang to resume stem cell research.
In 2004, Hwang's team at the Seoul National University announced the creation of the world's first cloned human embryonic stem (ES) cell-line and, in 2005, reported, in the journal Science, the derivation of a further 11 cell-lines from 31 cloned embryos, using just 185 eggs. Hwang became internationally acclaimed and on the back of his success the World Stem Cell Hub was set up by an international consortium. In November 2005, allegations were made suggesting that Hwang had used eggs donated by a junior researcher to create his 11 ES cell lines. Subsequently, an investigation found that the 11 ES cell lines reported in Science had been 'faked'. Later, the panel investigating Hwang's work reported that research showing that Hwang's team had created the world's first ES cell line from a cloned human embryo was also faked - an investigation lead by SNU found that no such cell line exists.
Hwang's journals, previously published in the publication Science, were withdrawn, his findings discredited and the reputation of the once-revered South Korean national hero was shattered. Hwang also came under intense criticism for recruiting one of his female staff to act as the egg donor, breaching bioethical research guidelines. Of the discredited research carried out by Hwang at SNU only the creation of a cloned dog named Snuppy, a male Afghan hound, was found to be genuine. Since then Hwang has successfully cloned three female Afghan hounds, and the cloning of grey wolves by his team at the SNU has also been upheld as genuine. He recently teamed up with US firm, BioArts International to offer dog cloning services to the public.
Sources and References
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South Korea rejects disgraced clone scientist's license
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Gov't Bans Stem Cell Research Attempt
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Seoul Bans Hwang's Stem Cell Research
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Disgraced SKorean scientist won't resume cell work
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