Supporters
of disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk Friday weep in front of
a building housing the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family in
Gye-dong, downtown Seoul, after the ministry announced a ban on Hwang's
stem cell study. / Yonhap
The South
Korean government Friday decided to disapprove a request by disgraced
scientist Hwang Woo-suk to resume human stem cell research, dealing a
blow to the cloning scientist's efforts to recover his honor after eing
involved in a test fabrication scandal two years ago.
Hwang, once a national hero, has been on trial since 2006 on charges of
fraud and violation of bioethics laws after his team was found in
January 2006 to have fabricated laboratory test results to claim
success in his study. He was dismissed by Seoul National University in
the same year amid a global furor over his fabricated study results.
"We have decided not to approve the request by the Suam Biotechnology
Institute (SBI) to begin research on human embryonic stem cells for
medical treatment purposes," the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family
Affairs was quoted as saying in a statement. The SBI is a Seoul
research lab Hwang opened in 2006.
"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," it added.
The ministry explained that it respected the opinion of the National
Bioethics Committee, a presidential panel, which recently recommended
that it not give the go-ahead for Hwang's stem cell research.
Hwang and his team have been continuing research on animal cloning over
the past years. The scientist recently made headlines by announcing
that he successfully made three genetically identical copies of a dog
that died years before.
Scientists say that embryonic stem cells have the potential to develop
into other kinds of cells that could possibly be used to treat chronic
ailments such as heart failure, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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legoog (76.102.9.199)
08-04-2008 01:15
Years
later the scientific community did applaud his achievment but not his
nationalist view of, that korea should own the invention. Other stuff
about mis-appropration of funds etc are at best ficticious. when media
gets hold of this type of story, the rumor has life of its own.
legoog (76.102.9.199)
08-04-2008 01:15
>
jewboy, Have you read any scientific magazine that talked about break
through Dr Hwang has made? What dr Hwang's team was able to do at the
time was 2 years ahead of others. Since this stemcell area has
tremendous commercial application, dr Hwang's foreign collegues esp.
ones in the US filed for patents without crediting dr Hwang et al in
the patent application.
jewboy (71.136.208.204)
08-03-2008 20:15
Also
in responding to Ecodrive's reference to "Korea's vital interest", how
about the interest in cleaning up this type of fraud? Does Ecodrive
feel no shame that Koreans are often labeled as con artists?
jewboy (71.136.208.204)
08-03-2008 19:49
Ladies
and gentlemen, just refer to the comments posted by "ecodrive" and
"legoog" and you understand the ignorant Korean nationalistic
mentality. This Professor Hwant ripped off the South Korean government
and other institutions yet these fools are supporting the criminal.
legoog (76.102.9.199)
08-03-2008 13:51
dr
hwang did not lie in his experiments. dr hwang was victim of some bazar
conspiracy. his only fault was that he was more of a nationalist than a
pure scientist. he wanted his work to benefit korea more than science.
