Call to investigate earlier work of embattled scientist

A former colleague of embattled South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk said today he has asked his university to widen its investigation into the stem cell researcher’s work, and to review earlier purported breakthroughs.

Moon Shin-yong, who played a key role in Hwang’s research, told The Associated Press that he asked Seoul National University to investigate Hwang’s paper, published last year in the journal Science, that purported to show his team created the world’s first cloned human embryos and extracted stem cells from them.

“In the scientific community, when one paper is proven to be fabricated, it is customary to review all related papers,” Moon said, adding that he “currently doesn’t know” if there is any problem with the article.

Moon, an obstetrics and gynaecology professor at the university, stressed that “all research results have to be investigated” as he arrived for questioning by the university panel this afternoon.

“Although I am pained and distressed, I came today to re-establish hope of patients with incurable diseases on stem-cell therapy and report on stem cell research based on the truth,” Moon told reporters.

After about 2 1/2 hours with the panel, Moon said as he left: “I believe South Korean science can embody honesty.”

Moon said later that the panel had focused its questions on the potential therapeutic effects of stem cells, which added were “exaggerated".

The university’s nine-member investigation panel, which launched its probe on Sunday, plans to give an interim report on Friday.

Today, the panel also questioned Roh Sung-il, Hwang’s former collaborator, who has raised a series of allegations against the researcher’s breakthroughs on patient-matched embryonic stem cells published in May in Science.

Roh, head of Seoul’s Mizmedi Hospital, declined comment to reporters as he left after about two hours of questioning.

In his latest allegation earlier this week, Roh said he provided more than 900 eggs to Hwang – far more than the researcher said he received. Hwang claimed in the May article that he used just 185 human eggs to create custom-made embryonic stem cells for 11 patients, winning international acclaim for his cloning efficiency

Roh has previously claimed that Hwang faked at least nine of the 11 stem cell lines.

The university panel also planned today to interview Han Hak-soo, a producer at MBC television, which has aired investigative reports on Hwang’s allegedly fake results.

Meanwhile, some MPs called into question the future of government funding for Hwang’s research.

“It is problematic for the government to go ahead with its next-year budget plan for professor Hwang’s research” when the veracity of the scientist’s work is being questioned, Kim Seong-hee, vice spokesman for the minor opposition Democratic Labour Party, said today.

The government has earmarked £11.3m (€16.6m) for Hwang’s research next year, the party said, citing government data. Since 1998, the government has given nearly £36.7m (€54m) for Hwang’s work, it added.

“The government should either reduce its budget for Hwang’s questionable research or reorganise the budget for areas more urgently needed,” Kim said.

Hwang, a veterinarian, said last week he had asked Science to withdraw the May article – one of two he has published in the scientific journal – after he acknowledged that at the time it was published his team had only created eight stem cell lines.

However, he has maintained that his research is genuine and said tests will show his team has the technology to grow the embryonic stem cells, which can be manipulated to grow into any body tissue. Scientists hope such a development could eventually lead to tailor-made treatments for individual patients with hard-to-cure problems such as paralysis or Parkinson’s disease.

Last month, Hwang admitted he used eggs from two female scientists in his lab, a violation of ethics guidelines. He then stepped down as head of the World Stem Cell Hub, an international project launched in October.