South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk has won a patent for a stem cell line in the United States, marking the second patent on the related technology, data showed Wednesday.
A 15-member research team led by Hwang registered the human embryonic stem cell line, called NT-1, with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Oct. 25.
The former Seoul National University (SNU) professor created NT-1 in 2004 and claimed that it was the world's first stem cell batch extracted from cloned human embryos. But the authenticity of his research came under fire after he was discovered to have faked some experimental data and violated ethical regulations.