Embryonic stem cell research will resume soon after the Ministry of Health and Welfare granted conditional approval to a private university's project, Monday.
Prof. Lee Dong-ryul of CHA University in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, will lead a team of researchers in carrying out a four-year research project aimed at treating rare and incurable diseases. The university conducted similar research in 2009 but failed to produce viable stem cell lines.
Nearly 600 human eggs will be used for the research, 100 of which will be unfrozen, raising hopes for the research team to succeed in cloning embryonic stem cells this time.
The latest approval carries great significance because almost all embryonic stem cell research in Korea was halted following data fabrication scandals involving Hwang Woo-suk, the disgraced former Seoul National University professor. The strict ban on the use of unfrozen eggs began in 2005 after the scandal involving Hwang, who used such eggs from women seeking infertility treatments. Later he was convicted of falsifying research results and embezzlement.
Most notable is that the upcoming research will follow the somatic cell cloning method adopted by Hwang in producing stem cell lines that have the potential to develop into any kind of human tissue. Scientists say many future medical advances will be possible in accordance with the progress in stem cell research.
Research into incurable diseases using stem cells has advanced by leaps and bounds globally over the past decade, with the United States and Japan taking the lead. In 2012, Shinya Yamanaka, a professor at Japan's Kyoto University, won a Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on stem cell biology.
By contrast, Korea has lagged behind in stem cell research. A lot of scientists went abroad, frustrated by the government's tougher regulation following the Hwang scandal.
The latest approval for stem cell research is a necessary step to nurture the biotech industry, which could be one of our future growth engines. It's imperative that the government provide strong support for the private sector so that our researchers can get ahead of their overseas competitors.
What deserves our attention is that researchers should meet ethical standard requirements: eggs must be taken legitimately, an independent ethical committee should be in place and a monitoring system must be established to block human cloning. CHA University and its researchers should observe these rules without fail, paying heed to concerns raised in religious circles concerning the possible abuse of new stem cell technology.
Prof. Lee Dong-ryul of CHA University in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, will lead a team of researchers in carrying out a four-year research project aimed at treating rare and incurable diseases. The university conducted similar research in 2009 but failed to produce viable stem cell lines.
Nearly 600 human eggs will be used for the research, 100 of which will be unfrozen, raising hopes for the research team to succeed in cloning embryonic stem cells this time.
The latest approval carries great significance because almost all embryonic stem cell research in Korea was halted following data fabrication scandals involving Hwang Woo-suk, the disgraced former Seoul National University professor. The strict ban on the use of unfrozen eggs began in 2005 after the scandal involving Hwang, who used such eggs from women seeking infertility treatments. Later he was convicted of falsifying research results and embezzlement.
Most notable is that the upcoming research will follow the somatic cell cloning method adopted by Hwang in producing stem cell lines that have the potential to develop into any kind of human tissue. Scientists say many future medical advances will be possible in accordance with the progress in stem cell research.
Research into incurable diseases using stem cells has advanced by leaps and bounds globally over the past decade, with the United States and Japan taking the lead. In 2012, Shinya Yamanaka, a professor at Japan's Kyoto University, won a Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on stem cell biology.
By contrast, Korea has lagged behind in stem cell research. A lot of scientists went abroad, frustrated by the government's tougher regulation following the Hwang scandal.
The latest approval for stem cell research is a necessary step to nurture the biotech industry, which could be one of our future growth engines. It's imperative that the government provide strong support for the private sector so that our researchers can get ahead of their overseas competitors.
What deserves our attention is that researchers should meet ethical standard requirements: eggs must be taken legitimately, an independent ethical committee should be in place and a monitoring system must be established to block human cloning. CHA University and its researchers should observe these rules without fail, paying heed to concerns raised in religious circles concerning the possible abuse of new stem cell technology.
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