Clone Scandal: 'A Tragic Turn' for Science [S. Korea scientists fabricated evidence]

New York Times ^ | December 16, 2005 | GINA KOLATA

[syriacus]

Last May, a stunning research paper in Science, one of the world's most respected scientific journals, instantly changed the tenor of the debate over cloning human embryos and extracting their stem cells. A team of South Korean scientists reported in the paper that they had figured out how to do this work so efficiently that the great hope of researchers and patients - to obtain stem cells that were an exact match of a patient's - seemed easily within sight.

But that rosy future has been cast into doubt with the statement last month by Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, who led the team that wrote the paper, that it contained fabricated evidence.

[bnelson44]

What was fabricated? Is it that important to the research?

[bybybill]

Cloning, global warming, junk science, how much of it is really going on. I remember the planted Lynx hair in Washington State. These "experts" are losing creditability faster then Bubba lost his girl friends

[syriacus]

(11-04-2004)

A Scientist Expects Bush to Permit Therapeutic Human Cloning

"I expect the Bush administration to ease its strong opposition to therapeutic cloning as he is now free from the burden of being elected again,'' the Seoul National University professor [Hwang] said.

According to Hwang, Bush has been under pressure from conservative religious groups, which helped him win the presidency four years ago, and the so-called Bush doctrine is a result of such pressure.

[syriacus]

What was fabricated?

Korean Researcher Is Said to Admit Stem Cell Fakery

Most and possibly all of the human embryonic stem cell cultures reportedly made by a South Korean research team this year were fake, a member of the team told Korean news outlets yesterday. .

[syriacus]

These "experts" are losing creditability

I can't wait to hear the spin that will put out by the embryonic stem cell research folks.

[swmobuffalo]

Does this mean they'll shut up about using embryos now?

[syriacus]

I can't wait to hear the spin that will put out by the embryonic stem cell research folks.

AP already has their spin. It's Bush's fault that Hwang Woo-suk got away with fraud.

Probe May Widen in Stem Cell Fraud Case (South Korean researcher, Hwang Woo-suk)

Curt Civin of Johns Hopkins University Medical School, editor of the journal Stem Cells says that, because of lack of Federal funding, American researchers weren't able to perform the usual validation of a researcher's (Hwang Woo-suk's) published findings.

[syriacus]

Does this mean they'll shut up about using embryos now?

I wish.

[AndyTheBear]

Science must be verified by repeating well controlled experiments before sounding the trumpets of success.

[paudio]

American researchers weren't able to perform the usual validation of a researcher's (Hwang Woo-suk's) published findings.

There are some Americans in his team, including the senior researcher who asked that his name being removed from the published journal. Ability to be replicated is important sciences; but, it cannot be done before the research is published. It's the journal editors (through peer reviews) that are responsible to make sure the research is valid. The fact that the fraud was caught only in less than a year shows the system works, with or without federal funding.

[hocndoc]

No, it just means that they will scream harder and louder for our tax money.
I compare the whole thing to a Jimmy Swaggart or Tammy Faye Baker episode:
http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/2005/12/money-sex-okaygametes-and-power.html

blog.bioethics.net compares the hullabaloo to Clinton's lies, but they still don't get it:
http://blog.bioethics.net/2005/12/hwang-i-want-you-to-listen-to-me-im.html

[syriacus]

http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/2005/12/money-sex-okaygametes-and-power.html

Thanks for posting this link. The spin is quite a thing to behold. The excuses are coming, fast and furious.

This article mentions photo mix-ups, among other things. Fox and Friends mentioned "contamination" of the cells.

[syriacus]

The fact that the fraud was caught only in less than a year shows the system works, with or without federal funding.

Thank you for the clear explanation of the basics. It's easy to get lost in all the jargon and half-truths..

[syriacus]

http://blog.bioethics.net/2005/12/hwang-i-want-you-to-listen-to-me-im.html

Great blog with amazing links! Bookmarked. Thank you.

[syriacus]

Science must be verified by repeating well controlled experiments before sounding the trumpets of success.

It would seem that Hwang jumped the gun. Perhaps his name should be used as a synonym for "braggart."

[syriacus]

Hwang Woo Suk Wins Nobel Prizes
for Physics, Biology, Medicine and Chemistry.

South Korean is first researcher, ever, to fabricate cells out of thin air

[MHGinTN]

Let's see if we can make the following quote more truthful: "A team of South Korean scientists reported in the paper that they had figured out how to do this work so efficiently that the great hope of researchers and patients [to cannibalize newly conceived human individuals in order to treat older human individuals] - to obtain stem cells [the self-made body parts of a human at the age of embryo] that were an exact match of a patient's [but not the patient's, rather the sovereign body parts of an entirely separate human being from the patient/DNA donor] - seemed easily within sight." There now, that appears to cut through the obfuscation.

[syriacus]

Great job of editing, MHGinTN!

[syriacus]

A second look for Hwang Woo Suk 12/16/2005

Hwang's just a name in the news.
'Cuz the man's disappeared from our views.
He's been hospital-ridden
Since we've learned he was kiddin'
And he can't show us cells to peruse.

Collaborator says Korean cloning pioneer admitted faking stem cell result