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Controversy surrounding the origin of egg cells used in research by
cloning pioneer Prof. Hwang Woo-suk is now leading to questions about
the research results the team published in Science magazine. MBC's ��PD Diary�� said a researcher on Hwang��s team who took part
in the somatic cloning of stem cells claimed the results published by
Science in 2004 were a collection of falsehoods. The researcher maintains that Hwang's team fabricated data
because in reality it failed to clone a somatic cell and instead used a
frozen embryo from the hospital to make stem cells. The researcher says
the team also lied about cloning a cow. Starting from these allegations, ��PD Diary�� in August started
gathering data from other researchers in Hwang's team. Producers
initially pretended they were making a documentary on stem cells, and
were thus able to win cooperation from the scientists. But in September, ��PD Diary�� started working on a full-fledged
expose of the research itself, insisting it was fabricated. In the
process the producers allegedly pressured members of Hwang��s team
warning them Hwang would soon be punished. The geneticist��s side says
��PD Diary�� turned members of the team against one another and used
hidden cameras in their efforts to dig up dirt on Hwang. In mid-October, the ��PD Diary�� crew went to the University of
Pittsburgh and met with researchers dispatched there by Hwang. During
that time, one of them was allegedly hospitalized for 10 days due to
stress from being hounded by reporters. In November, Prof. Gerald
Schatten of the University, a key collaborator of Hwang��s, obtained new
information on the team��s occyte procurement, and a researcher who had
donated ova for Hwang��s research admitted this to Schatten. Schatten announced he was severing ties with Hwang on Nov.12.
On Nov. 22, ��PD Diary�� aired its expose, including revelations that the
junior researchers donated egg cells and women were paid for occyte
donations. The ��PD Diary�� producers have reportedly commissioned an
independent authority to check Hwang��s documentation. After cloning a human embryo from a somatic cell, Hwang
dispatched three team members to work with Schatten toward cloned
monkey embryos last December. The inference is that if Hwang��s
technology for cloning human embryos was fabricated, the monkey embryos
cloned by Schatten��s team would also be a sham. A Stem Cell Hub source said, ��I can't understand why they are
insisting that truths confirmed by respected world authorities
including Dr. Ian Wilmut, the creator of the cloned sheep Dolly, are
falsehoods.�� He added the laboratory of Seoul National University��s
veterinary department was continuously generating stem cells. The source charged ��PD Diary�� with pathological distrust and a
refusal to listen, but producers are adamant they will continue their
investigation. ([email protected] )
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