Stem Cell Shenanighans

Disgraced SKorean clone expert denies swindle
Jul 25 5:15 AM US/Eastern (Source)

South Korea's disgraced cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk, standing trial on graft charges has denied using fraudulent research to obtain cash donations from corporations.

Hwang, once a national hero in South Korea, was indicted in May on fraud, embezzlement and ethical breaches relating to his bogus research into stem cells. Five other scientists were also indicted.



The 52-year-old Hwang has maintained his innocence but prosecutors say he is guilty of embezzling 2.8 billion won (three million dollars) in donations to his research team.

Prosecutors have urged Hwang to admit that he masterminded a stem cell hoax by manipulating data and using the bogus scoentific findings to swindle businessmen out of money.

"It was voluntary contributions to support me," Hwang said during his trial at the Seoul District Criminal Court, vehemently denying he ever asked for money.

"I have never made a prior request (for money). I have just received money because they wanted to do donate it."

In previous hearings, Hwang blamed one of his junior researchers for fabricating data and photographs in a 2005 paper that established him as a leader in the field of stem cell research.

He claimed in the paper that his team had created 11 stem cells tailored to specific patients in landmark research on cloning, paving the way to finding cures for a variety of diseases.

But a panel of experts at Seoul National University, where Hwang worked as a professor, concluded in January that the stem-cell claims were bogus.

The panel also said the first stem cell allegedly created by Hwang's team from a cloned human embryo, documented in a 2004 journal article, was also bogus.

Hwang has challeged the panel's conclusion, sticking to his allegation that his team did create a stem cell from a cloned human embryo for the first time in the world.

He said he wants to resume research work at a private laboratory, focusing on animal cloning experiments because he was fired from the university and deprived of a government license for human stem cell research.

The government last week withdrew medals and honors awarded to Hwang, who has already lost his title as the country's "Supreme Scientist."