Professor Hwang Woo-suk, credited with the world's first extraction of human stem cells from a cloned embryo, says he will resume his research to find cures for degenerative diseases.

Hwang said he'll make the formal announcement at a medical symposium in Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on Thursday.

Scientists have said Hwang's stem cell extraction could lead to treatments for various diseases and help cure millions of people suffering from terminal diseases.

Hwang and his team had voluntarily stopped research earlier this year until a broader social, ethical and scientific consensus could be reached.

The team said a recent decision by the British government to allow human stem cell research and similar measures by Japan and China compelled them to take steps, while at the same time making efforts not to fuel any renewed ethics debate.

The team is expected to start research on ways to clone stem cells from males, young girls and post-menopausal women. Hwang's previous research was conducted on fertile women.