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South Korean President Pledges Support for Stem Cell Research

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 03:01 CDT

Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

Seoul, 19 October: President Roh Moo-hyun pledged on Wednesday [19 October] that his government will assist stem cell research activities as much as possible to help the country emerge as a centre of global bioengineering research.

In a speech at the opening ceremony of the "World Stem Cell Hub (WSCH)" at Seoul National University (SNU) Hospital, Roh stressed the need for the country to expedite stem cell research activities, which he described as the "hope for people fighting incurable diseases".

The WSCH, headed by SNU profesor Hwang U-sok, was launched to serve as the world's stem cell bank.

"We will also take measures to advance the quality of medical services and grow the medical industry as a strategic industry so people can enjoy quality medical services," he said.

Roh praised South Korean scientists for their achievements in stem cell research by saying that "South Korea has the highest level of technology in this field, and I believe the WSCH will open a new chapter in bioengineering by conducting joint research with foreign institutions and training manpower".

SNU professor Hwang U-sok and his team surprised the world last year when they became the first scientists to successfully clone human stem cells.

Hwang and his team also shocked the medical world in May when the influential journal Science published a report by Hwang's team that documented the successful creation of tailored embryonic stem cells.

Many scientists believe that by transplanting individually tailored stem cells into a patient's body, they will be able to treat people suffering from diseases long considered untreatable.

Hwang's team also cloned the first dog, Snuppy, in August, raising the possibility of using cloned animals to help accelerate efforts to treat incurable diseases.

The president stressed the need for the country to come up with a system for managing bioengineering research and its clinical implementation based on common sense and conscience, by taking note of the law and restricting stem cell research solely to find answers to incurable diseases.

The National Assembly passed legislation late last year to allow scientists and medical doctors to clone human cells or conduct pure bioengineering research for the development of treatments for patients suffering diabetes, leukaemia, Alzheimer's and other diseases.

Scientists and doctors are also permitted to carry out stem cell research on human embryos for infertility treatment, but commercial transactions of sperm and ova are strictly banned.

The embryonic stem cells, which can be developed into numerous tissue types and theoretically will not be rejected by the bodies' immune system, can be applied to regenerate damaged organs or tissue.

On the ethical issue, Hwang has said, "Every scientist involved in stem cell research knows this has nothing to do with human cloning. You know no scientist can clone a human being."

President Roh has said his government will not ban scientists from conducting research into stem cells and other bioengineering technologies, despite questions over the ethical problems involved.

"It is reasonable for us to allow research while managing it in accordance with a sound conscience," Roh said at a meeting in May.

At that time, Roh ordered a presidential committee on science and technology to do the job of "controlling technologies so they will not get out of control."

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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