Hwang Woo-Suk was a very successful and well-known biomedical ...

Hwang Woo‐Suk was a very successful and well‐known biomedical scientist who
was dismissed in 2006 from Seoul National University in South Korea after
falsely reporting to have succeeded in producing human embryonic stem cells
by cloning, in which two misleading articles were published in the journal
Science.
1

• Woo‐Suk matriculated at Seoul National University
where he became a veterinarian in his early career.
• After earning his doctorate, he briefly practiced
veterinary medicine, before moving into the field of
biomedical research, where he became a full‐time
researcher.
2

• Woo‐Suk gained media attention after announcing
that he successfully created a cloned cow (Yeongrongi)
in 1999
• Two months later, he reported to have cloned a
Korean cow (Jin‐i)
• Woo‐Suk’s great accomplishments were recognized
by the Korean media and community, which gained
him his heroic title and strong supporters.
3

• In February 2004, Woo‐Suk and his colleagues
fraudulently announced, in a published article in
Science, that they have cloned 30 human embryos and
collected stem cells from one of them.
• This was considered a breakthrough in biology as well
as a great scientific and technological advancement in
East Asia.
• In May 2005, Woo‐Suk’s lab published another
paper, in Science, falsely reporting to have established
11 embryonic stem‐cell lines derived from the skin
cells of individual patients
• Dr. Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh
co‐authored both papers in which he had not
thoroughly reviewed. 4

• His rise in fame gained him and his colleagues:
• International support
• Well‐ funded Laboratories
• Received over $40 million in research funds
• Legislation authorizing human embryos to be cloned for
research
5

• February 12, 04
• Land mark paper , on cloning embryos and harvesting stem
cells from them
• May , 04
• Question about the source of stem cells arise along with the
possibility of broken bioethics laws in respect to egg
donations
• All calms down
• May 19, 05
• Hwang’s team announces creation of 11 embryonic stem cell
lines
7

• November, 05
• Investigation resurfaces
• Gerald Schatten alerts that researcher Sun Il Roh has illegally
traded ova to which Roh later admits
• December, 05
• Univ. of Pittsburgh and Univ. of Seoul open investigation
into 2004 and 2005 papers
• Hwang and Shatten asks for retraction of the paper
• Initially 9 of 11 and later all stem cell line turn to be fake
8

• January‐February, 06
• Univ. of Seoul states that Hwang's 2004 and 2005
papers are based on fraudulent data
• Instead of 400 eggs, 2,221 were used in his research
(Korea's National Bioethics Committee )
• Schatten is cleared of scientific misconduct by the
University of Pittsburgh
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• May, 06
• Hwang charged with:
• embezzling $3 million,
• committing fraud by knowingly using fabricated data to
apply for research funds,
• violating a bioethics law that outlaws the purchase of eggs
for research
• October, 06
• Hwang takes the stand in court
10

• Egg Donation (Declaration of Helsinki)
• Falsified Data
• Embezzlement and Misappropriation of Funding
• Dr. Schatten‐Co‐authoring papers without
verification of results
12

• Egg Donation
• An investigative news program uncovered the facts behind the egg
scandal
• Hwang had distributed consent forms to the egg donors, and had
driven one woman to the procedure –He originally claimed to have no
knowledge of the offense
• The program had its sponsors withdraw initially because of its
unpatriotic theme
• Falsified Data
• Seoul National University led an investigation with a panel of
scientists who discovered forgery of all 11 “cloned” stem cell lines
(Used DNA Fingerprinting)
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• Embezzlement of Funds
• Multiple bank accounts in which government funding
was present
• Financed a car for his wife with funds
• Co‐Authorship
• Woo‐Suk’s 2004 paper was first rejected, and Schatten
fought to get it published even though he had not
verified data (wanted senior co‐author status)
• Schatten succeeded in publishing the fraudulent paper
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• Woo‐Suk had become a national hero, which placed
immense pressure on his lab
• Obtained a certain “rock star” status that made him feel
that he could not be touched
• His experiments were difficult to replicate (Very costly)
and therefore were tough to verify
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Consequences and Outcomes
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• Woo‐Suk is guilty of unlawfully obtaining eggs from
his co‐workers
• However, for the other crimes, Woo‐Suk holds a story
that would liberate him:
• Spent part of research funds in attempts to clone
extinct Russian mammoths and Korean tigers
• Conspiracy against him
• Team members supplied him with false data
• Projects had been sabotaged and materials were stolen
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• South Korean Government
• People of South Korea
• Female coworkers coerced into giving their eggs
• Thousands of Koreans rallied behind Hwang after the
egg fiasco
• Many sick and elderly got their hopes up for stem cell
treatment
• Scientific community
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• Scientific papers
• Many papers based on Woo‐Suk’s false research
• Journal Review
• Tarnished the reputations of many journal editors
• Embryonic stem cell research becomes under scrutiny
• People doubt the possibility of obtaining stem cells
from embryos
19

• Discredited for finding method of obtaining stem cells
from embryos
• Dismissed from Seoul National University
• Indicted on charges of Fraud, Embezzlement, and
Breach of South Korea’s Bioethics Law
• Title of Supreme Scientist was revoked
• Government revoked financial/legal support
• Forced to continue research outside of South Korea
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• Fired from position as Professor
• University endowed Woo‐suk with funding, power, and honor.
• Woo‐suk embarrassed his university and disgraced his coworkers.
• Forced out of South Korea
• Government lent him large sums of money.
• Woo‐suk was not exiled; he was barred from research.
• By leaving, Woo‐suk was able to avoid many angry countrymen.
• No Physical Detention
• Stripped of dignity
• Eggs, scientific fraud, lied to public
embezzlement
21

• Concerns about Egg Procurement
• Proper documentation of Informed Consent along with
Journal submissions
• Summery or informed consent process
• Institutional Review Board approval forms
• HFEA (Human Fertility and Embryology Authority)
Recommendations
• Independent counseling before donating
• Only permitted to donate to research groups unaffiliated with
friends and family
• Embezzlement of Government Funds
• Spending oversight committee
Nicholas Wade: It May Look Authentic; Here’s How to Tell It Isn’t. New York Times. Jan 24th, 2006
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• Falsifying Data
• Adoption of a test to detect photo‐manipulation by
journal editors (The Journal of Cell Biology)
• 25% of accepted manuscripts violate journal guidelines.
1% (14 papers) found fraudulent
• Developing algorithms to spot image manipulation (Hani
Farid, Dartmouth)
• Full‐time reviewers
• Post on server for public feedback prior to
publication
• E‐prints on arXiv.org (Physics, Mathematics, Computer
Science and Quantitative Biology)
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• Emphasizes Importance of the Review Process
• Reduces likelihood of plagiarism
• Highlights Co‐Authorship Responsibilities
• Dr. Gerald Schatten backing Woo‐Suk’s work
• Evidence that Peer Scrutiny Works
• Scientific community unveiled irregularities in Hwang’s
reports
25

• Nicholas Wade: It May Look Authentic; Here’s How
to Tell It Isn’t. New York Times. Jan 24th, 2006
• Philippa Brice: HFEZ favours altruistic egg donation
for cloning research. PHG Foundation News. Feb 16,
2006
• Timeline of Controversy: “A chronology of Woo Suk
Hwang's stem‐cell research,” Nature Magazine. Dec
2005‐Present
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