Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Accusations made in the press about the validity of the experiments published in South Korea are, in our opinion, best resolved within the scientific community. In 1998, following the publication of success in producing a cloned mammal using somatic cell nuclear transfer (1), there were accusations that it was a scientific fraud. In response to these charges, Sir Alec Jeffreys of the University of Leicester offered to independently verify that the animal was indeed a clone by directly obtaining source tissue from the Hannah Research Institute and blood from Dolly. Sir Alec's laboratory then performed DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite analysis confirming that Dolly's DNA, that of the cells banked at the Institute, and the original adult tissue were one and the same.

It may not come as a surprise that, in a similar vein, charges of fraud would be levied against Hwang's laboratory. We welcome the facts that Hwang has called for an assessment of the work in his laboratory and that the National University has started to make the arrangements. As we (I.W. and K.C.) confirmed the validity of our work by cooperating with an independent study, we encourage Hwang's laboratory to cooperate with us to perform an independent test of his cell lines to determine their nuclear and mitochondrial genotype in comparison with the donors of the original cells.

Many patients and family members of patients with degenerative diseases place great hopes in regenerative medicine. This trust and the monies that many public agencies are investing in the science underscore the sobriety the scientific community should bring to the publications of scientific results. In addition to a willingness to facilitate the independent verification of published results, it may be helpful to institute an Internet database to publish the DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite data on new lines to ensure against the cross-contamination of cell cultures or scientific misconduct.

Ian Wilmut
Centre for Reproductive Biology
The Queen's Medical Research Institute
University of Edinburgh
47 Little France Crescent
Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK

Michael D. West
Advanced Cell Technology
One Innovation Drive
Worcester, MA 01605, USA

Robert P. Lanza
Advanced Cell Technology
One Innovation Drive
Worcester, MA 01605, USA

John D. Gearhart
Institute for Cell Engineering
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
733 North Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

Austin Smith
The Institute for Stem Cell Research
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
Scotland, UK

Institute for Stem Cell Biology
University of Cambridge
Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK

Alan Colman
ES Cell International
11 Biopolis Way, # 05-06 Helios
Singapore 138667

Alan O. Trounson
Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories
Monash University
Wellington Road
Clayton, Melbourne
Victoria 3800, Australia

Keith H. Campbell
Division of Biological Sciences
University of Nottingham
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK

Reference

1. I. Wilmut et al., Nature 385, 810 (1997).