The untold story of scientific ethics, publicity disputes, and the high-stakes world of therapeutic cloning research
In September 2005, Britain's scientific community received a shocking blow when pioneering stem cell researcher Professor Miodrag Stojkovic announced his departure from Newcastle University for a position in Spain. His exit came just months after he had made history by creating Britain's first cloned human embryo—a breakthrough that had positioned the UK at the forefront of regenerative medicine. The sudden departure of this renowned expert raised urgent questions about what could drive such a valuable scientist to leave at the peak of his career. As it turned out, the reasons stemmed from a fundamental clash over scientific ethics, publicity practices, and the very nature of how breakthrough research should be communicated to the public 1 .
Therapeutic cloning, sometimes called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), involves creating cloned embryos specifically for medical research rather than reproduction. The process begins with taking a skin cell from a patient, extracting its nucleus (which contains the DNA), and implanting it into a human egg that has had its own nucleus removed. The egg is then stimulated to develop into an embryo genetically identical to the patient. After about five days, stem cells can be extracted from this embryo 8 .
These stem cells are master cells that can develop into any type of cell in the human body—pancreatic cells for diabetes patients, neurons for those with Parkinson's disease, or cardiac cells for heart repair. Because the cells are genetically matched to the patient, they won't be rejected by the immune system when transplanted. This represented a revolutionary approach to treating degenerative diseases that affect millions worldwide 4 8 .
The research inevitably sparked heated ethical debates. Religious groups and anti-abortion activists argued that human embryos, regardless of how they were created, deserved protection and should not be used for research. Others feared that therapeutic cloning could become a slippery slope toward reproductive cloning of humans, despite strict laws against it in the UK and many other countries 2 8 .
Stojkovic's journey to Britain began when he fled the war in his native Serbia during the 1990s, eventually making his way to Germany and then to Newcastle University in 2002. When he arrived, his facilities were modest—"just me, a small desk, one microscope and an incubator without a hood," as he later described 1 .
By 2004, Stojkovic and his collaborator Professor Alison Murdoch had received Britain's first license for human therapeutic cloning from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Their research focused specifically on deriving stem cells to treat diabetes 2 5 .
The team used surplus eggs from women undergoing IVF treatment at Murdoch's fertility clinic. These eggs would otherwise have been discarded, and with patients' consent, were used in the cloning experiments. By May 2005, the Newcastle team had achieved their breakthrough—creating Britain's first cloned human embryo 1 .
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Stojkovic arrives at Newcastle University |
| August 2004 | Receives first UK therapeutic cloning license |
| May 2005 | Creates UK's first cloned human embryo |
| June 2005 | Nature journal criticizes premature announcement |
| September 2005 | Announces departure for Spain |
According to Stojkovic, the problems began immediately after the research breakthrough. He claimed that without his knowledge, Murdoch had organized a press conference to announce their achievement on the same day that the disgraced South Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk's work was being published in the prestigious journal Science. Hwang had famously faked his cloning research, and Stojkovic believed the rush to publicity mirrored the same unhealthy competition that had compromised scientific integrity in South Korea 1 .
Stojkovic argued that scientific breakthroughs should only be announced after peer review and publication in a scientific journal—not before. "The major point is that scientific effort should be appreciated after publication and not before," he stated. "It is not about one city, one university, or one country putting themselves first—this was the problem in South Korea" 1 .
Newcastle University defended its actions, claiming that Stojkovic had been "always consulted about publicity surrounding him and his work" and had "participated fully in both planning and taking part in the media activity" 1 .
However, Stojkovic felt differently. He expressed concern about non-scientists making premature promises about cures for desperate patients: "People that were not involved in lab work and stem cell work were giving promises about when acute diseases may be cured. This is not responsible" 1 .
The prestigious journal Nature agreed with Stojkovic's position, publishing an editorial that criticized the "premature release of this incomplete information," calling it "contrary to good scientific practice" 1 .
While the ethical dispute over publicity was central to Stojkovic's departure, funding also played a role. Spain's Prince Felipe Research Centre in Valencia offered a state-of-the-art facility with £200 million invested in laboratories focused on regenerative medicine. Newcastle's Vice-Chancellor Christopher Edwards admitted that the university "could not compete with the offer from Spain" 1 5 .
The move highlighted concerns about a "brain-drain" of top scientific talent from Britain to better-funded institutions abroad. Biotechnology entrepreneur Sir Chris Evans warned: "Now that the UK is building up a critical mass of excellence in stem cells and related fields, we need to be maximising our impact and stop these good people leaving as best we can" 5 .
| Factor | Newcastle University | Prince Felipe Research Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Funding | £3.5m grant for stem cell research 1 | £200m laboratories 1 |
| Facilities | Initially minimal: "one microscope" 1 | State-of-the-art, purpose-built 5 |
| Publicity Approach | Immediate press conferences 1 | Not detailed in sources |
| Stojkovic's Role | Research team leader 2 | Deputy director of regenerative medicine 5 |
The shadow of South Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk loomed large over Stojkovic's decision. Hwang had achieved international fame for supposedly groundbreaking cloning research that turned out to be fraudulent. The scandal revealed how national pressure to achieve scientific firsts could lead to compromised ethics and ultimately, disaster 1 .
Stojkovic explicitly connected his experience to Hwang's: "It became a national question and the scientists were under pressure to do more, to be faster... But the only competitor is time. A patient suffering from spinal cord injuries does not care whether I will find the solution or somebody in the UK or somebody in South Korea. The most important thing is that somebody finds the solution" 1 .
Another ethical dimension concerned the source of eggs for research. While Stojkovic's team used surplus eggs from IVF treatments, other researchers were beginning to ask healthy women to donate eggs specifically for research—a practice with ethical concerns about potentially exploiting women 9 .
The Newcastle team had struggled with egg quality issues, with their single successful clone coming from 36 eggs collected from 11 women. This shortage of high-quality research materials hampered progress and created additional pressure on researchers 9 .
At its heart, Stojkovic's departure highlighted tensions between scientific transparency and responsible communication. He believed that researchers should be cautious about promising cures: "When we speak about stem cells we must let the scientists speak about them. People have to stop promising things. We know nothing of how we will cure these acute diseases, especially using stem cells, and we must not support the concept that stem cells are the holy grail and will cure all diseases. They will definitely cure some diseases but not all" 1 .
To understand the significance of Stojkovic's work and why the ethical concerns mattered so much, it's helpful to examine exactly how therapeutic cloning works:
A skin cell is taken from the patient who needs treatment. The nucleus containing the DNA is carefully removed from this cell and inserted into an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed 8 .
The egg is stimulated with chemical signals to convince it to begin developing as though it had been fertilized. It starts dividing and growing into an embryo 8 .
After about 5-6 days, the embryo develops into a blastocyst—a hollow ball of cells containing an inner cell mass of stem cells. These stem cells are carefully extracted 8 .
The stem cells are treated with specific growth factors to encourage them to develop into the desired cell type—such as pancreatic cells for diabetes patients 8 .
The resulting cells undergo rigorous testing and verification to ensure they are genetically identical to the patient and free from abnormalities 8 .
| Reagent/Material | Function | Example in Stojkovic's Work |
|---|---|---|
| Human oocytes | Provide cytoplasmic factors for reprogramming | Surplus IVF eggs from fertility treatments 1 |
| Somatic cells | Source of patient DNA | Skin cells from diabetes patients 4 |
| Culture media | Support embryo development | Specialized solutions for stem cell growth 1 |
| Enzymes | Remove zona pellucida or dissociate cells | Used in nuclear transfer process 8 |
| Growth factors | Direct stem cell differentiation | Factors to create pancreatic cells 8 |
Miodrag Stojkovic's departure from Britain represented more than just the loss of one talented researcher—it highlighted critical tensions between scientific integrity, public communication, and research ethics. His stance against premature publicity, motivated by concerns about repeating the errors that led to the Hwang scandal in South Korea, revealed a researcher deeply committed to the responsible practice of science.
The funding considerations that also influenced his move to Spain highlighted the global competition for top scientific talent and the need for adequate investment in research infrastructure. Britain's loss was Spain's gain, and the Newcastle team's cloning work was put on hold after his departure 1 .
"The only competitor is time. A patient suffering from spinal cord injuries does not care whether I will find the solution or somebody in the UK or somebody in South Korea. The most important thing is that somebody finds the solution" 1 .
Twenty years later, the questions Stojkovic raised remain relevant. How should scientific breakthroughs be communicated to the public without creating false hope? How can researchers balance the need for funding and recognition with maintaining scientific integrity? What responsibilities do scientists have to desperate patients seeking cures?
In the end, Stojkovic's departure from Britain wasn't just about a career move—it was a statement of principle about how science should be conducted, with integrity, collaboration, and appropriate caution about promising what has not yet been achieved. These principles continue to guide ethical stem cell research today as scientists work toward turning the promise of therapeutic cloning into reality for patients worldwide.