Last week in BioNews we reported that Professor Robert Edwards, the scientist jointly responsible for the first ever IVF birth in 1978, 'apparently' supports the intentions of Panos Zavos to clone humans ('New clone claim' BioNews 202, 7 April 2003). However, both the Sunday Times source article and our summary of it were inaccurate in this respect. We apologise for this mistake.
Edwards' journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, has agreed to publish Zavos' work. However, Zavos' paper, which is due for publication in the journal in June, will be accompanied by a commentary by Professor Edwards in which his position on human reproductive cloning is made quite plain. Edwards says that the 'openness' of Zavos about his research is 'welcome and timely', but goes on to say that 'a wide perspective must be maintained on this work'. Because of 'disastrous' results with cloning in other species, much work will be needed, he feels - in animals initially - to determine the safety of the procedure in relation to humans.
Additionally, a second commentary by Dr Azim Surani of the Wellcome Cancer Research Institute in Cambridge, UK, accompanies Zavos' paper. In this paper, Dr Surani expresses doubts about the validity of the claims made in Zavos' publication, saying that he is 'not convinced that it contains enough information to reach any valid conclusions' and that it 'lacks attention to detail'.
Sources and References
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Abstract: False impressions on human cloning
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Abstract: Human reproductive cloning a step nearer
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Abstract: Human reproductive cloning: the time is near
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