Cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk is seeking collaboration with a team of scientists at Harvard University to develop treatment for diabetics using embryonic stem cells.

Professor Hwang said in an interview with the Bloomberg News Agency Thursday that he is seeking collaboration with Dr. Douglas Melton’s team at Harvard University. The American research team wants to use highly versatile embryonic stem cells to create treatments for diabetes.

The report said that Hwang’s technique for creating genetically matched stem cells by combining a patient’s DNA with an egg from an unrelated donor might allow Melton’s group to potentially grow tissues that could be transplanted into diabetics without fear of rejection.

The news agency also said that joint research with Harvard might help Hwang achieve the goal of opening a stem-cell bank in South Korea.

Professor Hwang was quoted as saying that if his and Melton’s teams agree to cooperate, he believes they can realize human trials using stem cells.

Hwang last month stunned the world's scientific community by announcing the creation of the first genetically tailored embryonic stem-cell lines.