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S Korea's Catholic Church funding stem-cell research

The Roman Catholic Church in South Korea said yesterday it will donate millions of dollars for research into adult stem cells, supported by critics of embryonic stem cell projects as a more humane alternative.

The Archdiocese of Seoul will provide 10 billion won (US$9.6 million) to a committee that will support adult stem-cell research.

Most of the funds will come from church coffers, with the rest raised through donations, said Bishop Yeom Su-jeong, head of the committee.

"We plan to devote ourselves to saving human dignity above everything else ... and raise awareness of respecting lives," Yeom said.

South Korea has been embroiled in debates over stem-cell research. It is home to one of the leading scientists in the field, Hwang Woo-suk, who has received international renown for cloning human embryos and extracting stem cells.

Stem cells are master cells that can develop into any body tissue, and scientists hope to someday use them to replace and repair diseased and damaged parts of the body.

The cells can also be extracted from adults -- but researchers say adult stem cells are less versatile and are sometimes damaged by the health problems of the person from whom they're extracted.

The government provides massive support for Hwang and his team, which created the world's first cloned human embryos last year. Earlier this year, Hwang's team created the first embryonic stem cells that genetically match injured or sick patients.

But the Catholic community has been a fierce opponent of his research, saying it seriously violates human dignity, likening manipulation of cloned embryos to "murder."

"Keeping and saving lives ... is the mission of the times that our church must accomplish in the face of whatever difficulties," Yeom said.
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