主题：【文摘】S Korea cloning success 'faked' -- ct

S Korea cloning success 'faked'

By Charles Scanlon

BBC News, Seoul

Dr Hwang has been hailed as a hero in South Korea

A South Korean cloning pioneer has reportedly admitted fabricating some of the results of his ground-breaking work on human embryos.

Dr Hwang Woo-suk was quoted by a colleague as saying that he had faked at least nine of 11 stem-cell colonies.

Dr Hwang's work had been hailed as a breakthrough, opening the possibility of cures for degenerative diseases.

But his work has come under increased scrutiny since ethical lapses in his methods were revealed last month.

South Korea's most celebrated scientist has been avoiding the media since his dramatic confession last month of ethical shortcomings in his work.

He has spent much of his time in hospital, where he has reportedly been suffering from stress as allegations have multiplied about the credibility of his research.

Paper under scrutiny

A close associate now says Dr Hwang has admitted faking at least some of the results which turned him into a national hero and seemed to give South Korea a clear lead in a revolutionary new field.

Dr Hwang's paper - authenticated by the American journal, Science - claimed to have produced 11 stem-cell lines from cloned human embryos: a new technical for growing tissue that would perfectly match the DNA of a donor.

The technique could lead to possible cures for diseases including diabetes and Parkinson's.

But Dr Hwang is now reported to have admitted that nine of the 11 stem-cell lines were fabricated.

A doctor who co-authored the paper says the credibility of the other two lines is also in doubt.

A close American collaborator of the Korean team has already tried to disassociate himself from the research.

The revelations have sparked a furious debate in the South Korean media.

Leading companies have pulled their advertisements from the television station that first revealed the problems with Dr Hwang's work.

Many commentators said it was unpatriotic to challenge someone who had given the country a lead in such a promising new area.

这是一起非常典型的学术丑闻，为了抢占科学里的新领地，不择手段，还低估别人的智商。Faking 一旦查实，毫无疑问，Dr. Hwang 的学术生命彻底到头了，没有任何东西可以挽救他。可怜那些跟从他的研究人员了，一场辛苦一场梦。

然而，我觉得一个公正的学术界还就应该是一个如此无情的地方。

造假的人一般都是闷声大发财，哪有把假的东西放到全世界顶尖杂志上给所有科学家辨别的。

不过Dr.Kwang 的这个工作，要是真的不往Science or Nature 上投，也让人起疑。

话说回来，人体clone这个领域，在欧美跃跃欲试的人海了去了，主要的羁绊还是在道德，伦理等非科学方面，可自己不能搞，可总能挑错呀。这Dr.Kwang 不但不穿防弹衣，反而叼着根烟卷，背着炸药包出门，还专找狙击手，杀人狂多的地儿去招摇，他以为他是谁？

Dr. Hwang Dropped from Scientific American 50 for Faking Research

With considerable disappointment, the editors of Scientific American are immediately removing Dr. Woo Suk Hwang from his honored position as Research Leader of the Year on the 2005 Scientific American 50 list.

Dr. Hwang famously announced in Science last June that he and his team at Seoul National University in Korea had cloned human embryonic stem cells from 11 patients. Published accounts appearing this morning, however, report that one of his co-authors, Dr. Sung Il Roh, now says that Dr. Hwang admits that much of the evidence in his Science paper was faked. He further alleges that Dr. Hwang has asked Science to withdraw that paper. Dr. Hwang was not available for comment.

This admission follows the discovery in recent weeks that some of the experiments conducted in Dr. Hwang's laboratory did not meet the highest standards of ethical practice. Specifically, some women were paid to donate eggs for use in the experiments, and some of the eggs came from junior female researchers working in the laboratory.

The allegations of ethical misconduct were very troubling, but Scientific American's editors felt it was important to give Dr. Hwang the benefit of the doubt until their veracity could be determined. Even when those charges were borne out, we respected that the ethics of accepted practice in this area of science were still somewhat murky, and we declined to judge him too quickly, although his cover-up of those problems was clearly wrong.

However, scientific fraud is an unforgivable offense against the enterprise of research, and in this case, it completely invalidates the selection of Dr. Hwang for inclusion in the Scientific American 50.

Dr. Hwang's deceit misled Scientific American along with the international scientific community. We regret, in writing about his work and awarding him a place among key technology leaders, having unknowingly misinformed readers about his actual accomplishments. We are also deeply concerned about the lasting damage that this fraud may do to the reputation of stem cell research, which we continue to regard as a highly worthy endeavor generally pursued by scientists keeping to a far higher standard of honesty and ethics. --The Editors

而有人要杀死记者吗？现在更大丑闻出来了，他们又怎么办呢？

常常感觉韩国人的过度自尊，已经变成了自大而狂妄，而又没有任何基础。

S Korea cloning expert hits back

Dr Hwang has been hailed as a hero in South Korea

South Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk has stood by his apparently breakthrough research, despite claims some of the results were fabricated.

Dr Hwang said his work would be vindicated within 10 days, after stem cells from his study were reassessed.

But he has asked the journal Science to retract a key research paper, published in June, due to the controversy.

The cloning pioneer was speaking on Friday, a day after a colleague claimed Dr Hwang had admitted faking some data.

Even before the latest claim, Dr Hwang was already under fire after admitting ethical lapses in his research.

The controversy is causing shockwaves in South Korea, where the cloning pioneer is widely considered a national hero.

After an emergency meeting on Friday in response to the fabrication claims, the government said it would wait to take further action until after an investigation by Seoul National University, where Dr Hwang works.

Resignation

Dr Hwang resigned from his main post as head of the World Stem Cell Hub in November, after it emerged that some of the eggs used in his research were donated by his staff - in contravention of international guidelines.

Hwang Woo-suk successfully cloned a puppy, called Snuppy

Now it is some of the research itself which is being called into question.

The latest allegations came from a colleague, Roh Sung-il, who collaborated with Dr Hwang on the landmark research paper, which was published in the magazine Science.

After visiting Dr Hwang in hospital, where he was being treated for stress, Mr Roh told South Korea's MBC television network that Dr Hwang had admitted fabricating some of his key research results.

In a press conference on Friday, Dr Hwang acknowledged that some of the stem cells created and referred to in the article had died after being contaminated.

But he said other cells were now being unfrozen, and would serve to prove the authenticity of his work.

"Our research team made patient-specific embryonic stem cells and we have the technology to produce them," Dr Hwang said.

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He said he was retracting the paper from Science because of the controversy, but he emphasised that he did not doubt his findings.

According to Reuters news agency, he said a follow-up paper had been submitted to another journal which would restore faith in his team.

Allegations

Dr Hwang's paper claimed to have produced 11 stem cell lines from the skin of people with disease or injuries.

But Mr Roh said on Thursday that a scientist working in Dr Hwang's laboratory was pressured into doctoring results.

Dr Hwang said on Friday that he was "shocked" by Mr Roh's remarks. "Our six research members made 11 stem cells and all confirmed this," he said.

But he admitted that the cells had been badly contaminated by a fungus, and said he planned to ask prosecutors to investigate his suspicion that they may have been tampered with or replaced.

Research into stem cells is being keenly watched because of its possible benefit to sufferers of illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Stem cells can grow into any type of cell, so researchers hope to harvest them and use them to replace ones that have become worn out or damaged.

Dr Hwang's other research has not been questioned. He claimed last year to have cloned the world's first human embryos and to have extracted stem cells from them, as well as producing the world's first cloned dog earlier this year.

韩国"干细胞之父"向国民道歉

黄禹锡教授向国民道歉

韩国"干细胞之父"黄禹锡教授被揭发捏造研究结果后，向国民道歉。

黄禹锡周五在一些学生簇拥下召开记者会，部分学生哭泣。黄禹锡表示，他对自己造成的震惊和失望表示歉意，并辞去首尔（汉城）大学的教授职务。

韩国媒体援引黄禹锡的话说，他开发的为病人量身复制出的胚胎干细胞技术，这将获得承认。

不过，调查委员会为了要确认患者量身复制的干细胞是否真正存在，现正进行遗传基因分析。

首尔（汉城）大学调查委员会的调查结果表明，黄禹锡的大部分研究结果都是故意造假的。

韩国媒体周五援引首尔大学调查委员会发言人卢贞惠的话说，黄禹锡教授研究组2005年刊登在《自然》科学期刊上的论文，只能看做是把从2个细胞获得的结果“夸大而成的故意捏造”。

损害科学基础

她说，黄禹锡教授也部分承认指示进行捏造，他的研究人员也证实了这一点，这次捏造研究结果事件损害了科学的基础，黄禹锡教授无法避免被追究责任。

韩国媒体报道，韩国总统府青瓦台发言人金晚洙称表示，首尔大学调查委发表最终调查结果之后，将“对应该判断和考虑的问题整理立场”。

韩国科学技术部则表示，将根据研究管理规定，采取中断提供研究费用等必要的措施。

BBC在首尔的记者表示，黄禹锡的科学突破被揭发是虚假捏造之后，韩国民众把这次事件视为国家的耻辱。

科学界对造假基本是零容忍的，不像政界军界有“白衣从军”的传统。黄禹锡肯定还是有他的过人之处的，但是现在看来是无法在科学界发挥了。大家都可以引以为戒。

Not even one authentic clone...

黄禹锡干细胞研究论文系“伪造”

黄禹锡曾被认为是韩国最著名的科学家

韩国首尔大学的一个委员会周二(1月10日)宣布，该国科学家黄禹锡在复制干细胞上的一系列论文系伪造。

首尔国立大学的专家们表示，没有任何数据能支持黄禹锡的研究结果。

黄禹锡是2004年在美国《科学》杂志上发表论文，称他的研究团队成功复制了一个人体胚胎干细胞的。

首尔国立大学在一份声明中说：“黄禹锡在2004年发表的那篇论文中提到的一号干细胞并非复制自人体胚胎。”

“他的研究团队没有任何证据能证明他们曾复制过人体胚胎干细胞，”声明补充说。

首尔国立大学没有即刻宣布将对黄禹锡采取怎样的惩罚措施，但声明中说，对他的惩罚“将会很严厉”。

BBC驻首尔的记者表示，这个结论基本为黄禹锡的复制丑闻划上了一个句号。而在丑闻被揭发出来之前，黄禹锡是韩国最著名的科学家。

去年11月，黄禹锡承认伪造研究结果，并宣布辞去所有公职。

《自然》期刊撤回黄禹锡伪造报告

黄禹锡的“研究”曾令科学界充满憧憬

《自然》科学期刊正式撤回韩国复制技术科学家黄禹锡分别在2004和05年发表的两篇报告。

《自然》期刊的声明说："首尔国家大学调查结果显示，两篇报告内包含了相当多的伪造数据，本期刊的编辑认为必须立即和彻底地撤回这两份报告。"

黄禹锡曾声称他成功复制人类干细胞，但韩国首尔国家大学的调查指黄禹锡伪造数据。

不过，黄禹锡确曾复制了一只狗。

黄禹锡星期四（1月12日）对研究论文数据造假丑闻再次向韩国民众道歉。

但黄禹锡指责欺骗行为的始作俑者是其它研究人员。

据报道，韩国政府正调查黄禹锡和二十多名研究小组的人，他们被禁止离境，有可能面对欺骗和挪用公款的指控。

科学界对黄禹锡的研究一度抱著很大的期望，如果医学界能成功复制人类干细胞，治疗糖尿、帕金森等疾病的机会将大大增加。