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| South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk apologizes to nation at National
Press Center in Seoul, Thursday, Jan. 12,
2006.(AP) |
A disgraced South Korean researcher asked his
nation's pardon Thursday for fraudulent claims of stem cell breakthroughs, but said junior
scientists deceived him and should share blame for the scandal.
"I ask for your forgiveness," Hwang Woo-suk told a nationally televised
press conference from Seoul in his first public appearance in nearly three
weeks. "I feel so miserable that it's difficult even to say sorry."
Seoul National University, where Hwang is a professor, on Tuesday
issued a final report that he fabricated landmark published claims in 2004
and 2005 to have cloned a human embryo and extracted stem cells from it.
"The use of fake data ... is what I have to take full responsibility
for as first author. I acknowledge all of that and apologize once again,"
Hwang said.
However, Hwang repeated his earlier claims that he was deceived about
the data by two junior scientists at a partner research hospital, and said
that he believed that his papers were legitimate when they were published.
He said the junior researchers lied to him when they said they
successfully culled and grew
stem cells from human embryos cloned by Hwang's team.
Hwang also claims that some of his stem cells were maliciously switched
by other researchers in his lab. He stressed again Thursday that this "is
a matter that should definitely be cleared up."
Hwang, who at one point was on the verge of tears, also claimed that he
has the technology to create patient-specific stem cells under the right
conditions.
"I think we can create patient-specific stem cells in six months if
eggs are sufficiently provided," he said.
Scientists hope one day to use such technology to treat afflictions
including Alzheimer's disease
by allowing patients to grow replacement tissue using their own stem
cells.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2006-01-13 10:36
