Controls on stem cell work pushed

The South Korean stem cell research scandal could add fuel to state Sen. Deborah Ortiz's efforts to impose stricter controls on California's stem cell research program.
The Democratic senator from Sacramento said she plans to introduce another measure to protect women who donate their eggs for embryonic stem cell and other research.

She said she also plans to renew her efforts to win legislative approval of Senate Constitutional Amendment 13, a measure to impose stricter conflict-of-interest and open meeting rules on the state's stem cell program.

"The South Korean scandal makes it more difficult for opponents to allege this is a plot by the right wing," Ortiz said of her legislation. "It shows the best and the brightest in the scientific community couldn't catch these instances of fraud and overstated research."

In South Korea, the nation's groundbreaking stem cell researcher, Hwang Woo-suk, resigned in disgrace from Seoul National University on Dec. 24 after admitting ethical breaches and fabrication of research claims.

Hwang admitted his team used eggs extracted from two of his junior scientists during research that led to the...