U.S. Scientist Pulls Out of Stem Cell Research Project over Ethical Concerns
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005
Posted: 9:45:19AM EST

A U.S. scientist who had been working on controversial embryonic stem cell research with a world renowned South Korean scientific team said he would end his collaboration with the group, alleging ethical breaches over how eggs for research were obtained and lies to cover them up, according to a report.

University of Pittsburgh researcher Gerald P. Schatten had worked together with South Korean researcher Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University in recent years on projects involving cloned human embryos to make what some scientists referred to as major breakthroughs in "therapeutic cloning" to create stem cells that were genetically matched to patients.

The research involved creating and destroying blastocysts, early stage embryos, to harvest stem cells. The stem cells would be used to regenerate tissue that could be used to heal patients. Scientists hope that embryonic stem cell research can be used to find cures for diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes as well as to heal damaged spinal cords.

Some pro-life critics of embryonic stem cell research say that because embryos are destroyed to harvest stem cells, the process is tantamount to ending a life. They proposed alternatives such as adult stem cell research, which does not involve embryos. Story