SEOUL, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk has admitted that embryonic stem cells he purportedly cloned last year were faked, local press reported Monday.
The Kyeongin Ilbo said Hwang had confirmed the fact after conducting DNA tests on the stem cells during an exclusive interview with the newspaper.
Hwang said the DNA fingerprint traces of stem cells in his lab did not match those of cells featured in a paper published in Science magazine in February 2004, the newspaper noted.
The article swept Hwang to fame for his presumed breakthrough in cloning technology.
The Korea Times said Seoul National University, where Hwang works, would likely announce a lack of evidence to verify the authenticity of the 2004 paper in a report expected Monday.
An investigative panel has conducted a month-long review of Hwang's work on cloned stem cells and a cloned dog named Snuppy.
The panel announced late last month that Hwang's 2005 Science paper on tailor-made stem cells had been falsified.
