Paper on the World’s First Cloned Wolf Taken off the Net

The periodical “Cloning and Stem Cells,” which published a controversial research paper by South Korean scientists on producing the world’s first cloned wolves, announced that it will remove the paper from its website. The research team is being investigated for possibly manipulating data. The periodical will take further actions according to the results of a Seoul National University probe into the matter.

“Cloning and Stem Cells” deleted the paper in question from its online archive on Wednesday. In a following announcement, the periodical stated, “We have received the team’s request to issue a correction for the paper. Subsequent measures will be taken when Seoul National University concludes its investigation.”

The paper, produced by a team led by Professor Lee Byeong-cheon of Seoul National University’s College of Veterinary Medicine first appeared in the periodical’s March edition. The editor-in-chief of the periodical is Doctor Ian Wilmut, who is famous for cloning the sheep Dolly in 1996.

Some in the science circles have raised doubts over Dr. Wilmut, whose personal acquaintance with Hwang Woo-suk and his research team may have been behind the publication of the paper. Hwang, the disgraced fraudulent stem cell research scientist, is reportedly the co-author of the controversial paper. Before Hwang’s fraud was revealed two years ago, Dr. Wilmut made a proposal to Hwang to conduct joint research to find a treatment for Lou Gehrig`s disease.

achim@donga.com