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Researched Said He Faked Stem Cell Photos NewsMax.com Wires SEOUL, South Korea -- A South Korean researcher who worked with disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk told a university investigation panel that he had duplicated photos for an article claiming breakthrough stem cell findings under orders from Hwang, a report said Sunday. Kim Sun-jong, one of three researchers formerly on Hwang's team who now works at the University of Pittsburgh, flew back to South Korea late Saturday and was immediately taken to Seoul National University for questioning, Yonhap news agency reported. A panel of experts investigating the extent to which Hwang's team fabricated 11 colonies of cloned stem cells grilled Kim until 6 a.m. Sunday, Yonhap said. Kim told the panel Hwang had instructed him to submit several duplicate photos of stem cell colonies to make it look as though there were 11 separate lines, the news agency said. The panel Friday said Hwang had fabricated at least nine of the 11 stem cell lines he claimed to have created in a May article in the journal Science, a breakthrough scientists had seen as a key step to creating tailored therapies for hard-to-treat diseases. Story Continues Below
Hwang apologized for the scandal and stepped down as professor at Seoul National University but continues to insist that his team perfected the technology to create patient-matched stem cells, which have the potential to develop into any bodily tissue. Hwang has claimed that Kim switched some of his cloned stem cell lines that were created by a hospital led by Roh Sung-il, an outspoken critic of Hwang, and has called for an investigation. Roh said the accusation was meant to shift the blame away from Hwang. Kim _ who said he had personally seen eight completed stem cell lines while working with Hwang _ told the university panel Sunday that he did not replace the cloned stem cells. The head of the panel could not be reached for comment Sunday. Prosecutors said Friday they would decide whether to investigate Hwang after the university finishes its probe. The Seoul District Prosecutor's Office said Hwang's fabrication is not subject to criminal charges. New DNA test results expected within days will prove whether Hwang was able to clone any stem cells - or create the world's first cloned human embryo and the only cloned dog, as he has asserted. Hwang, a veterinarian who first rose to international fame last year, maintained Friday that his work would be vindicated.
© 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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