|
|
Zavos: Implant of Cloned
Human Embryo
Saturday, 17 January 2004
No implant of cloned human
embryo’s yet
Monday, 09 June 2003
Panos Zavos, US fertility
specialist to implant cloned embryo in woman
Wednesday, 14 May 2003
Panos Zavos: Where is the
proof of a "baby"?
Sunday, 05 January 2003
Dr. Panos Zavos question
clone claim.
Saturday, 04 January 2003
Clone
baby could be a hoax: investigator – ABC Online, Australia,
01/06/2003
Clone
testing overseer suspends effort – CNN, 01/06/2003
'Clone' baby
inquiry suspended – BBC, 01/06/2003
World's
Second Cloned Baby Is Born, Raelians Say – Reuters, 01/04/2003
More links to news articles.
The Cloning Circus Continues
World's Second Cloned Baby Is Born, Raelians Say – Reuters, 01/04
Article: Still no testing of the baby
Zavos: Genie Already Out of the Bottle on Cloning
Genetic Basis for Cloning Failure
Where is the proof of a
"baby"?
We demand the truth!
Sunday, 05 January 2003
All we have seen so far is a show without substance and an irresponsible
act of medical, scientific and news reporting dimensions. If one is
involved responsibly to assist someone to reproduce via an ART method then
it should take all measurements to limit the risks involved and maximize
the results of the overall effort. As I recently responded to a group of
fellow members of reproductive medicine experts, I find it totally
irresponsible and appalling for anyone to clone a human being and produce
one without the proof.
They make it sound that to test DNA-profiles and to match the somatic cell
nuclear donor (genetic mother) and the newborn baby is a very difficult
test to perform; it is not!! As I indicated recently on various TV shows, "those
people" had nine months to prepare and execute this "experiment"
and now they end up showing us nothing for proof other than speeches and
news conferences. This is what was needed to be done along the way of this
process if one could produce a cloned baby with the proof and independent
confirmation:
The conception and birth of a cloned baby requires a number of scientific
procedures that need to be confirmed independently.
Those would include:
(a) genetic "fingerprinting" of the somatic cell nuclear donor
and blastomeres of the cloned embryo(s);
(b) molecular analysis and mitochondrial DNA profiles of the egg donor(s),
somatic cell nuclear donor and the cloned embryos;
(c) cytogenetic analysis of microvilli biopsy and amniocentesis and subsequent
DNA-profiles to match the egg donor(s), and somatic cell nuclear donor;
(d) at birth, DNA-profiles to match the somatic cell nuclear donor (genetic
mother) and the newborn baby, and
(e) last but not least, the information should be submitted for publication
in a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
I should note that amniocentesis on a high risk pregnancy of this magnitude
should be a must and it should have taken place once or twice during these
types of pregnancies.
It is our hope that the Raelians and the so called independent reporter
that would act in an "unbiased" manner to bring about such
confirmation, Dr. Michael Guillen, know and understand the seriousness of
what they announced to the World...cloned pregnancies or cloned pregnancies
with all the necessary proof and documentation. They need to offer to the
world independent confirmation of these events and developments. We, in the
Scientific and Clinical World, not only expect that those events do take
place but we demand that those events do take place and are enforced. Those
that lie and use fraudulent means to mislead people are criminals and they
ought to be treated that way!!
Directly from Dr. Zavos' desk!
Dr. Panayiotis Zavos,
Ed.S., Ph.D.
01-05-03
Dr. Panos Zavos question clone claim.
Saturday, 04 January 2003
As the Raelian movement and Clonaid announces the birth of a second cloned
baby, Dr. Panos Zavos told CellNEWS
about his doubts concerning the claim.
"We are very-very concerned and 'extremely sceptical' of
Boisselier's claim of baby ‘Eve's’
arrival."
"The major comment that we had and continue to have regarding baby
‘Eve's’ arrival has been ‘where is
the proof?’"
He further questioned the whole existence of ‘baby Eve’
by saying:
"In the absence of any evidence it's impossible to judge whether
the delivery of ‘Eve’ happened or
not."
"It is easy for someone like Dr. Boisselier
to announce the delivery of a pregnancy, but it is rather difficult to
prove that those two are indeed...cloned."
"I am hoping that Dr. Boisselier knows and understands the
seriousness of what she is announcing to the World... a ‘cloned baby’ or a
‘cloned baby with all the necessary proof and documentation’."
"Dr. Boisselier and her team need to offer to the world independent
confirmation of these events and developments. If she has accomplished such
an event, we stand ready to congratulate her, but until we have all the
facts we remain very, very sceptical."
In response to a question about his own cloning effort, Zavos said:
"We are totally committed to carry on with our effort and also
simultaneously tell the world what we have done and provide the
proof."
In an interview with the BBC NEWS Zavos told some more about his doubt
concerning Clonaid and Brigitte Boisselier's (BB) claims:
Dr. Zavos: The whole world is really sick if this. Because...when an
advance of this magnitude is announced, it’s well documented with facts. We
have seen nothing in the US, and you have seen nothing in Europe...this is
about to becoming a little bit of a circus.
Q: You believe this is a hoax?
Dr. Zavos: It seems to be at the moment, and of course it has been
going on for some time now. And they promised at the time of announcement, a
week ago, that there will be confirmation... and this confirmation normally
takes 12 hours to get.... and they have appointed scientists, they have
appointed independent observers ...and everybody is obviously totally
confused of what’s going on.
And the latest is, as the world suspected, they say ‘We are not going to do
anything about it’!
Q: BB is talking about the parent’s reluctance of taking this test
in view of the legal pressure that might be on them. But you don’t believe
them?
Dr. Zavos: No, of course not. Simply because a thing that I have
confirmed with an attorney this morning, that in a testing of this
magnitude, and I am familiar with the test very much so myself, it will
really not reveal any information about the parents or the child.
All you have to do is just take a blood sample or a skin sample. This is
the same as a test to confirm the paternity or maternity of children in the
US, send it to a laboratory, and it takes 12 to 24 hours to get the result.
So, I don’t understand how these tests are going to risk anything
concerning identifying the parents or the child.
Q: I don’t understand what these people are going to gain from
producing a hoax like this?
Dr. Zavos: Well, I think someone has to come up with an estimate
what is the cost of front page coverage on every newspaper in the world for
the last week or so! To get this kind of coverage world wide is quite an
undertaking.
Q: You know BB? What is she got to gain from all this?
Dr. Zavos: Well, it’s not so much what BB.... BB is pretty much the
sacrificial lamb of the equation. While Rael, and the Raelian movement gain
a momentum to double their number of followers.
I think, that being an official of the Raelian movement, ... her name as a
scientist, which never was anyway, will never flourish.
Q: Has she got the ability to produce a clone?
Dr. Zavos: None of us have the ability to clone a human being alone.
This is a team effort. And I can speak from experience myself, I got a team
of approximately 10 scientists and clinicians that work with this effort.
And none of us have the expertise to do it alone. Therefore, if BB has a
sizeable amount of money, that the Raelian movement easily could put
together, and can turn around some key scientist’s in this world.... she
could put something like this together.
But at the moment I think the events have turned toward something of a
hoax.
Q: How far away are you to producing a clone?
Dr. Zavos: Well, I really don’t want to tell. I would like to say I
am not really so far away. But I am not going into any specifics and I’m
not going to give you any prediction. I told the US Congress, when I
testified before it, 2003 will be the year of the clones. And that is
according to our own estimates.
But times will tell, we are in the business creating children for troubled
couples, not in a competition. We are taking about a human life here... so
it would be totally irresponsible to give any firm prediction.
This is a very major undertaking, a very serious task. If we can put it
together we will, if not so let it be. Then we will try again.
|
|
