An official investigation into the disgraced South Korean scientist found that all his most significant work in human cloning was based on fake data, casting doubt on the future of the technology in medicine.

Though the inquiry confirmed Professor Hwang’s claim that Snuppy, an Afghan hound, was a true clone, it demolished two far more significant papers that purported to show the first cloned human embryos and stem cells.

As well as inventing 11 lines of master cells that had supposedly been cloned from real patients, he fabricated a 2004 study that suggested that he had created a cloned human embryo and extracted stem cells for the first time, the inquiry ruled. Both papers had been published in the respected journal Science.

The findings are a severe setback for therapeutic cloning, which promises new treatments for conditions such as diabetes, paralysis and Parkinson’s disease by providing cells that would not be rejected by patients’ immune systems.

The disclosure that Dr Hwang’s achievements were nothing but fantasy means that no stem cells have ever been extracted from cloned human embryos, and leaves scientists with few clues as to how this might be accomplished.

Though a British team has also created a cloned human embryo, Professor Hwang’s group appeared to be doing this much more efficiently, and was the only one to have produced stem cells as well.

Stem cell experts, however, pointed out that the medical promise of the master cells — which can form any type of tissue — does not necessarily rest on cloning. Stem cells taken from ordinary embryos also have great potential benefit.

Professor Alison Murdoch, of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, who led the British team that cloned a human embryo last year, said: “It is regrettable that Professor Hwang’s recent work has been called into question and it is a major blow that human therapeutic cloning now looks to be much more of a challenge than his recent reports led us to believe.

“However, we believe therapeutic cloning promises important scientific developments which could lead to future treatments for a range of diseases. We are committed to continuing our research in this area as part of a broad portfolio of research into stem cell therapeutics.”

Stephen Minger, a stem cell researcher at King’s College London, said: “All of us who admired Hwang are deeply saddened by this revelation. However, it is likely to have a minimal effect on stem cell biology per se and work in the field will continue. It is also important to remember that cloning and stem cells are different things, and that stem cell lines have been, and continue to be, made without using nuclear transfer [cloning].”

The Seoul National University panel, which was set up last month to investigate allegations of fraud from two of Professor Hwang’s former collaborators, found that the scientist “did not have any proof to show that cloned embryonic stem cells were ever created”.

It cast doubt on whether the embryos presented in the 2004 work were even cloned, saying the evidence could not rule out the possibility that they were eggs that developed spontaneously. Dr Hwang’s later research, however, does appear to have generated cloned embryos.

Chung Myung Hee, who chaired the inquiry, said: “Hwang’s team did not have the data for the stem cell lines in the 2004 paper, but fabricated it.” The report accepted that Snuppy was probably an authentic clone. Preliminary results of DNA tests commissioned by Nature, the journal that published the research last year, indicate that the dog appeared to have been cloned, though the work has yet to be peer- reviewed.

The panel found Dr Hwang guilty of ethical lapses, saying that he not only knew that junior scientists in his laboratory had donated eggs, but that he had also accompanied one of them to a clinic for the procedure.

Dr Hwang may face criminal proceedings after South Korean prosecutors said that they would investigate whether he misused state funds provided for his work.

THE FINDINGS

2005: Science paper claiming creation of 11 lines of stem cells cloned from patients

Verdict: Faked. No proof that any of the lines existed. Panel released interim ruling last month

2004: Science paper claiming creation of first cloned human embryo and extraction of stem cells

Verdict: Faked. DNA fingerprinting tests and photographs fabricated. No proof cloning had occurred

2005: Nature paper claiming cloning of first dog, Snuppy

Verdict: True, so far. Preliminary results of independent DNA tests for Nature suggest Snuppy is a true clone, though confirmation still needed

Egg donation

Verdict: Guilty of unethical behaviour. Hwang knew female researchers from his lab were donating eggs, and accompanied one to a clinic

Technical expertise

Verdict: Not proven. Hwang’s team appears to be able to clone embryos, but there is no proof that stem cells have ever been extracted

THE GREAT PRETENDERS

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