Hwang Woo-suk's Use of Human Eggs for Research 2002-2005 (original) (raw)
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Case Study: Recruitment of egg donors by South Korean Stem Cell Researchers
2009
This case study examines the controversy surrounding Dr. Hwang Woo-suk's recruitment of egg donors for his team's stem cell research from 2002 through 2005. It explores the international dimensions of ethical standards, the political decentralization of global regulation, and the internationalization of science.
For love or money? The saga of Korean women who provided eggs for embryonic stem cell research
In 2004 and 2005, Woo-Suk Hwang achieved international stardom with publications in Science reporting on successful research involving the creation of stem cells from cloned human embryos. The wonder and success all began to unravel, however, when serious ethical concerns were raised about the source of the eggs for this research. When the egg scandal had completely unfolded, it turned out that many of the women who provided eggs for stem cell research had not provided valid consents and that nearly 75% of the women egg providers had received cash or in-kind payments. Among those who did not receive direct benefits, some cited patriotism as their reason for participating in embryonic stem cell research, hence the question ''for love or money?''—namely, patriotism versus payment. This paper summarizes the Hwang debacle with particular attention to the egg scandal and ends with some preliminary thoughts on patriotism as a motive for research participation.
Reconsidering ethical issues about " voluntary egg donors " in Hwang's case in global context
In the scandal around Korean stem cell scientist Woo-Suk Hwang, the inappropriate collection of human eggs as research material, fabricated data on ES cells obtained through somatic cell nuclear transfer, and fraudulent fundraising were condemned as legal and ethical transgressions. Among the criticisms, the donation of eggs by many women became a big issue. Some of the women were motivated by financial compensation or in-kind support, while others decided to donate their eggs without payment, being convinced that the research would bring therapy for thus far incurable patients, a promise unfulfilled. Regardless of the multiple reports published to articulate why the Hwang scandal happened in South Korea, we realized during our ethnographical fieldwork in that country that it would be meaningful to consider the ethical issues in a global context. In this paper, we focus on the motivations of the South Korean women who donated their eggs voluntarily as research materials, and aim to understand it in a more general context. We point out that not only their love of family but also other altruistic motivations for donating eggs are affected by the attitudes revealed in their narratives. Finally, we argue that there is a serious bioethical issue when a social environment of sick or disabled people makes women decide to help these individuals by donating eggs. Keywords: stem cell research, egg donation, altruism, gender, ethics,
2013
Introduction In 2006, the International Society for StemCell Research (ISSCR) publishedGuidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The task force grappled with the issue of financial consideration for eggs (oocytes) used in such research, finally recommending that local stem cell research and ethics review committees, where allowed by law, might determine the nature of compensation, ensuring that it does not constitute an undue inducement (Daley et al., 2007). At the 2009 ISSCR Annual Meeting in Barcelona, the Ethics and Public Policy Committee of the ISSCR hosted a debate on the ethics of payments (in cash or kind) to egg providers. This Position Paper is the culmination of the Committee’s discussions over the subsequent 36 months. In this document, the Committee formulates a view on the ethical acceptability, under certain specified and regulated conditions, of payments (in cash or in kind) to women providing eggs for stem cell research. The Committee’s view ...
Egg Harvesting for Stem Cell Research
Increasingly, researchers are seeking eggs from young women to be used for embryo cloning procedures. The harvesting of multiple eggs often involves the administration of drugs that have not been approved for this purpose. Also these drugs have not been adequately studied for their long-term effects on women despite research providing some evidence of significant harm to women in both the short and long term. Current practices follow a historical pattern of exposing women to risks that ultimately prove unacceptable. In addition, egg harvesting is taking place in a research climate marked by conflicts of interest, the misleading use of language to describe research goals, and a commercial push that may lead to the exploitation of young women. In this article, we outline these matters and explain how they are leading to an international campaign for a moratorium on egg harvesting for cloning purposes.
Egg harvesting for stem cell research: medical risks and ethical problems
Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 2006
Increasingly, researchers are seeking eggs from young women to be used for embryo cloning procedures. The harvesting of multiple eggs often involves the administration of drugs that have not been approved for this purpose. Also these drugs have not been adequately studied for their long-term effects on women despite research providing some evidence of significant harm to women in both the short and long term. Current practices follow a historical pattern of exposing women to risks that ultimately prove unacceptable. In addition, egg harvesting is taking place in a research climate marked by conflicts of interest, the misleading use of language to describe research goals, and a commercial push that may lead to the exploitation of young women. In this article, we outline these matters and explain how they are leading to an international campaign for a moratorium on egg harvesting for cloning purposes.