Asia Jockeys for Stem Cell Lead

摘要

Less encumbered by societal restrictions on embryonic stem cells, scientists in the developing countries of Asia are giving Western researchers a run for their money Veterinarian Woo Suk Hwang and gynecologist Shin Yong Moon leapt from obscurity to scientific stardom last February when they isolated embryonic stem (ES) cells from cloned human cells, a world first and a key step toward therapeutic, or research, cloning. Coming from a region that rarely produces scientific headlines, the announcement by the Seoul National University (SNU) pair stunned researchers around the world. But it was no fluke. Hwang has a long track record of successful animal cloning. Moon is South Korea's leading expert in assisted reproductive technology. The duo were ableto draw on the expertise of a dozen co-authors at six institutions. And when Western scientists got their first peek into the SNU lab, they were astounded to see state-of-the-art facilities— and an enviable supply of egg donors.