Will Park give nod to stem cell research?

By Kim Tae-gyu

The previous Lee Myung-bak administration restricted research on embryonic human stem cells in the wake of the mid-2000s scandal involving disgraced cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk.

While Korea sat idly by, its competitors made breakthroughs with the latest star being Prof. Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University, who has cloned human embryonic stem cells, the feat that Hwang claimed to have achieved almost a decade ago.

At issue is whether President Park Geun-hye will take a different stance on the potential-laden field of therapeutic cloning, which experts expect will offer great medical benefits.

“Over the past five years, just one project was approved by the government on cloning embryonic stem cells. In consideration of its scientific implications, that is not enough,” said Professor Hyun Sang-hwan at Chungbuk National University.

“Cell therapies are dependent on cloned embryonic stem cells. The government needs to fully support studies in the area.”

Mitalipov’s team took skin cells from a baby with a disease and inserted them into denuclearized eggs to establish stem cell lines genetically identical to the eight-month-old donor.

Tailor-made stem cells raise hopes that they can be used one day to create replacement tissue or organs for terminally-ill patients as embryonic stem cells have the capability of turning into any type of cell in the body.

The achievement of extracting patient-specific cells was initially claimed by Hwang in 2005 when U.S. journal Science featured his work as its front cover article. But later this was found to be based on doctored data.

Thereafter, the government established complicated preconditions and requirements for new cloned embryonic stem cell studies and only Cha Hospital met them.

“Currently, no project is underway in Korea on cloning embryonic stem cells mainly because of the lack of eggs available. It’s a shame,” Professor Park Se-pill of Jeju National University said.

“As the government prevents scientists from using healthy fresh eggs, we have to depend on frozen eggs, which usually don’t yield good results. Worse, even frozen eggs are hard to obtain.”

After the Hwang scandal, healthy fresh eggs were banned for any experiments or tests. By contrast, Mitalipov’s team used more than 100 fresh eggs of volunteers between the ages of 23 and 31, who donated them anonymously.

Park claimed that the country has to move forward in crucial scientific research instead of being stuck in the past.

Cheong Wa Dae refused to give details about its stem cell policy.

“We have yet to review policies on stem cell research,” said Jang Ok-ju, President Park’s secretary for social and welfare issues.