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Hwang's stem cell research declared fake

Panel to probe embryonic stem cell work and claim of cloning "Snuppy"

— PHOTO: AP

Stem cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk apologises in Seoul on Friday.

SEOUL: The Seoul National University (SNU) said on Friday South Korean stem cell expert Hwang Woo-suk fabricated the result of his research in the paper published in May this year in journal Science, calling it ``damaging to the foundation of science.''

The tentative conclusion was made by a special panel of the SNU in its preliminary report on its investigation of the authenticity scandal surrounding its professor Hwang's stem cell research.

The report, announced in a press conference, said, ``Hwang's team had reported it had 11 patient-tailored stem cell lines but there were only two such stem cell lines on March 15 when it submitted its paper to the journal Science.''

DNA analysis

``After analysing the data published in Science, we concluded that the glitch could not have been made by simple mistake but by deliberate manipulation''.

The panel's report further said it will conduct DNA analysis to determine whether the two stem cells were patient-tailored embryonic stem cells.

The interim report also labelled ``the fabrication action of Hwang's team is a grave behaviour damaged the foundation of science,'' saying Prof. Hwang should take major responsibility for the fabrication.

How to punish Prof. Hwang will be discussed after the overall investigation over his research concludes, the report added.

Moreover, the panel decided to enlarge its investigation to Prof. Hwang's paper published in Science in 2004 on the first cloned embryonic stem cell line and the one published in Britain-based journal of Nature over first cloned dog in the world.

The decision came coincidentally with Science's announcement earlier in the day that it will launch its own review over Prof. Hwang's 2004 paper described how his team harvested human embryonic stem cells from cloned embryos first in the world. Nature also announced it is to probe the authenticity of Prof. Hwang's paper on the birth of world first cloned dog — Snuppy. — Xinhua

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