Koreans have resumed work with human embryonic stem cells
South Korea lifted a ban on the use of human eggs in research
Elvira Koshkina, "Compulenta"On April 28, the South Korean authorities conditionally lifted the ban on stem cell research using human eggs.
The National Bioethics Committee has agreed to approve a new research project, since the scientists involved in it undertake to comply with certain conditions. The work will be conducted by a team of biotechnologists from Seoul Central Hospital. The clinic staff intends to use donor eggs to develop methods of treating such serious diseases as Parkinson's disease.
In the course of research, scientists must comply with four conditions: obtain written consent from donors to use their eggs in scientific work; minimize the use of these eggs, giving preference to laboratory animals; create an internal supervisory organization that will monitor possible violations; remove from the name of the project words that can give the inhabitants false hope for the cure of serious ailments.
The Bioethics Committee banned the use of human eggs in research in 2006, after it was found that the results of Professor Hwang Woo Suk's experiments with stem cells were rigged. Recall that Hwang Woo-suk became famous in 2005, when a sensational article was published in the May issue of the journal Science about the research of South Korean biotechnologists who managed to create the first "individual" human stem cells. Eleven lines of embryonic stem cells were supposedly formed by introducing the genetic material of a volunteer patient into donor eggs.
A few months later, it turned out that one of the members of the research team paid women to donate eggs for experiments. Hwang Woo Suk was accused of violating medical ethics, all his experiments were called contrary to ethical standards, and the biotechnologist was forced to resign as head of the international research center World Stem Cell Hub.
Finally, after an investigation conducted by a specially created commission, most of the experimental results were found to be falsified. In March 2006, the authorities stripped Professor Hwang Woo Suk of his license to experiment with human stem cells.
Prepared according to the materials of France Press.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru04.05.2009