Maverick fertility expert fails in efforts to create human clone

A SECOND failed attempt at human reproductive cloning was reported yesterday by maverick fertility expert Dr Panos Zavos.

Dr Zavos, from the University of Kentucky in the United States, said his team had created four cloned embryos which were transferred to the womb of a 33-year-old Middle-Eastern woman. However, none of the embryo transfers resulted in a pregnancy.

Once again, Dr Zavos offered no scientific evidence to back up his claim, and no peer-reviewed journal is publishing the research.

A similar lack of information surrounded his previous announcement of a failed cloning attempt in January 2004. On that occasion Dr Zavos said a single cloned embryo had been placed in the womb of a 25-year-old woman.

Speaking at a press conference in London, Dr Zavos said the latest procedure took place in a middle-eastern country which he would not name.

The identity and nationality of the woman was being kept secret. Dr Zavos would only say she was 33-years-old and from the Middle-East. Her 35-year-old husband was the donor whose cells were used to create the cloned embryos, said Dr Zavos.

He was unable to produce any sperm at all, and cloning was the only option left that might enable the couple to have a baby.

Dr Zavos was undaunted by the latest lack of success.

“What we know today is what we learn from our failures as well as our successes,” he said.

Four embryos were implanted on this occasion in order to maximise the chances of a pregnancy.

“We had great expectations for success,” said Dr Zavos.

But his announcement was thin on scientific detail.

He argued that it was difficult to get such research, which would be banned in Britain, published.

“Not every journal wishes to publish our work because they don’t want to take a chance on a controversial subject,” he said. “We’re honest people sharing this information with you . . . history’s going to judge us accordingly.”

On the previous occasion his work was initially accepted for publication but then dropped, he said.

Dr Zavos dodged questions about the risks involved with reproductive cloning, pointing out that IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) treatment was considered dangerous at first.

“Over the last 27 years that I’ve been involved in reproductive medicine I’ve never been involved in the production of an abnormal child, and I intend to keep it that way,” he added.

Dr Zavos, who was accompanied by at least one security guard, said “hundreds” of couples had contacted him expressing an interest in reproductive cloning.