Posted on 12/29/2005 8:56:46 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SEOUL, South Korea - An already disgraced scientist lied about all of the stem cell lines he claimed were matched to different patients through cloning, investigating researchers said in a new jolt to the shattered reputation of Hwang Woo-suk.
Thursday's announcement all but ends the fraud investigation into one of three major cloning breakthroughs claimed by the one-time scientific superstar and national hero. Probes of Hwang's two other groundbreaking experiments are still under way at Seoul National University where he worked before resigning in disgrace last week.
The latest news was one more disappointment to the scientific world, which had viewed Hwang's achievements as holding great promise for treating people with a variety of ailments, from spinal cord injuries to Parkinson's disease.
One researcher bemoaned the most recent development.
"The bottom line is that it's a major disaster to our whole field because the expectations were so high and now we are back to square one," said stem cell scientist Joseph Itskovitz, director of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.
In the experiment deemed fraudulent, Hwang had claimed in a paper published in May in the journal Science that he had created 11 colonies of human embryonic stem cells genetically matched to specific patients.
An investigative panel at the university reported last week that Hwang had faked the research on nine of the stem cell lines. On Thursday, it confirmed he also fabricated his research for the two remaining cell lines as well.
"The panel couldn't find stem cells that match patients' DNA regarding the 2005 paper and it believes that Hwang's team doesn't have scientific data to prove that (such stem cells) were made," said Roe Jung-hye, the university's dean of research affairs.
The university said that by next month it expected to wrap up all work on that case and have findings on two others: Hwang's first blockbuster claim in 2004 in the journal Science that he created the world's first cloned human embryo and extracted stem cells from it; and his research published in Nature last August claiming to have produced the first cloned dog.
Prosecutors said last week they are waiting for the university investigation into all Hwang's research before launching their own probe. The scientific journals also await those findings.
"We were already worried about the 2004 paper and this doesn't make us any less worried," said Katrina Kelner, an editor at Science, who said the 2005 paper would be retracted.
Since soaring to international renown last year, the 53-year-old Hwang, had become the focal point of pride in South Korea, a nation obsessed with education and achievement. That has quickly turned to disbelief and anger as escalating revelations of fraud have been the final blow to many who initially supported him even as the first doubts emerged.
"The problem grew bigger and bigger as Hwang was trying to hide something about his research," said Jeon Ji-eun, a 33-year-old part-time worker in the port city of Incheon, near Seoul. "Hwang would not have faced a difficult situation like this if he had taken ethical issues into consideration."
Hwang first came under suspicion in November when he admitted, after more than a year of denial, that he had used eggs donated by lab workers, in violation of ethics guidelines. He also acknowledged that some of the eggs he used were bought, after first saying all the eggs were donated.
His fraudulent research first came to light when a former colleague alleged fakery involving some of the patient-specific stem cell lines.
On Thursday, Hwang's whereabouts were unknown and he could not be reached for comment. A mobile phone number he gave to journalists has been changed.
Despite Hwang's fall from grace, some were not ready to give up the dreams that his claims inspired.
"Our confidence in Hwang remains unchanged," said Jung Jin-owan, 40, secretary general of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association. Since Hwang himself has not admitted all the cell lines were faked, "we would like to believe that he created patient-specific stem cells," said Jung, paralyzed from the waist down since a 1987 traffic accident.
Hwang filed a complaint with prosecutors last Friday that some of the stem cell lines his team created were replaced by those made at Seoul's Mizmedi Hospital, which had collaborated with his research team.
Roe said that while the university's investigation found that some of Hwang's purported stem cell lines originated from Mizmedi, probing any possible switch is beyond the scope of the panel.
Yun Young-kun, a supporter of South Korean stem cell pioneer Hwang Woo-suk, holds a picture of Hwang in front of the Seoul National University in Seoul Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005. Hwang produced no patient-specific stem cells despite claims in what was seen as a landmark 2005 research paper, Seoul National University said Thursday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A pedestrian walks by a copy of a magazine featuring South Korean stem cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk in Seoul Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005. Seoul National University said Tuesday it has commissioned DNA tests on more samples from scientist Hwang's lab amid reports that the university's earlier tests showed Hwang's embryonic stem cells were matched to patients' DNA. The letters read 'Hwang Woo-suk dilemma'. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The fetal stem cell research was faked but essentially true.
Critics were heard shouting, "Woo suck!"
At least, it is good that this, and other forms of fraud, are discovered much more quickly these days. Now weasels like this guy Suk can be tossed into the garbage dump of history long before they die -- ample punnishment for their sociopathic behaviours. Then again, perhaps someone as intelligent as he would seem to be might have time to achieve redemption. Time will tell.
Although we had to create false evidence, in the absence of any actual evidence, the underlying story is still true. And so, although we have not been able to find any actual proof, we strongly feel that the story is true. really. Trust us.
Suk research suk.
He'll have a hard time funding his research after this.
I guess there goes that line of thought that "scientist integrity" is a given. Obviously scientists are victims of greed and lust for fame just like all other humans as the disgraced Korean scientist has just proved.
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