embryonic stem cell colonies from the lab of developmental biologist James Thompson
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Used with permission © University of Wisconsin Board of Regents

A team of researchers led by Hwang Woo-suk from Seoul National University announced in February 2004 that this team had cloned a human embryo for the first time.

Today they announced that they had successfully created 11 lines of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) derived from donated eggs and the somatic (adult) cells of 11 patients with serious medical conditions.

Given that these stem cells are genetically virtually identical to those of the patients from whom the somatic cells were taken, if these stem cells can be coaxed into becoming the types of cells required for the treatment of each patient's condition, a major breakthrough in medical research and treatment will have been achieved.

According to May 20, 2005 article in the TIMES ONLINE entitled "Race to find new cures speeds up as Britain clones human embryo":

"The Korean group have produced 11 colonies of embryonic stem cells from 31 cloned blastocysts and 185 eggs. Their success rate was 16 times better than last year, when 242 eggs were needed to make a solitary stem cell line."

An article entitled "Hwang Clones Patient-Specific Stem Cells" about this breakthrough in the Korea Times raises some issues about the alleged inadequacy of the consent form used by the research team for the women who underwent hyperovulation treatments to generate the human oocytes (egg cells) used in the experiment.

Concern about ethical violations in the rush to collect enough eggs to do the experiments and possible treatments involving human embryonic stem cells was the subject of an April 18, 2005 Etopia Media Medical News Network interview with Massachusetts State Representative Betty Poirier. To hear that interview, click here.