Concerns Over Xenotransplantation Research Delays Amid 'Hwang Woo-suk Scandal'

As the fallout from former Seoul National University Professor Hwang Woo-suk's 2005 Science paper fabrication scandal continues to spread, there are growing concerns that xenotransplantation research being pursued by Gyeonggi Province may face setbacks.

According to the provincial government on the 2nd, the province has attracted the "Hwang Woo-suk Bio Organ Research Center" to Gwanggyo Techno Valley in Suwon's Ui-dong through joint investment with the central government to conduct xenotransplantation research with Professor Hwang involving transplanting organs from sterile pigs to humans. The province has also provided a livestock experimental facility at the Gyeonggi Province Livestock and Veterinary Hygiene Research Institute in Nam-sa-myeon, Yongin, as a site for a sterile pig farm.

Accordingly, the livestock experimental facility has been raising 56 female pigs approximately 6 months old purchased by Seoul National University since last November.

However, with allegations of paper fabrication by Professor Hwang emerging and the announcement of investigation results by Seoul National University's investigation committee scheduled for the 10th of this month, there is heightened concern that if government support for the bio organ research center is cut off or drastically reduced, the breeding of sterile pigs at the livestock experimental facility may become nominal only.

In particular, if the female pigs brought to the livestock experimental facility by Seoul National University do not proceed with scheduled research procedures such as embryo transfer this month when they are currently 6 months old, not only will xenotransplantation research face setbacks, but budget waste is also inevitable due to pig farm management costs.

A provincial official stated, "If support for the bio organ research center is cut off due to Professor Hwang's scandal, xenotransplantation research, including the sterile pig farm at the livestock experimental facility, cannot continue. We hope that research support will continue regardless of this scandal."

Meanwhile, the official clarified that the current pigs at the livestock experimental facility are unrelated to the experimental sterile pigs that Professor Hwang's team was researching in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. <Yonhapnews>