A controversial doctor claims to have cloned 14 human embryos and transferred 11 of them into the wombs of women, The Independent newspaper in Britain reported, though apparently, none of the embryos survived long enough to achieve a viable pregnancy.
Dr. Panayiotis Zavos told the Independent he carried out the work at a secret laboratory in an undisclosed country, and although the attempt failed this time, he said it will be possible to have a cloned human baby within the next few years if efforts are intensified.
"We're not really under pressure to deliver a cloned baby to this world. What we are under pressure to do is to deliver a cloned baby that is a healthy one," Zavos told The Independent.
It is a criminal offense in many countries, including Britain, to transfer cloned embryos into the human womb.
Zavos claims his efforts, the latest of which are documented in an independent film, are intended not to produce high-profile clones but rather to help couples overcome infertility.
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