From Boston Globe Pulitzer Prize winner Gareth Cook:
The first-ever scientific paper detailing an attempt to create a cloned child was published yesterday, raising concerns that the author may eventually succeed in an effort most researchers believe is ethically troubling and dangerous.
Although the cloning attempt failed badly, scientists said the level of technical detail in the paper raises the prospect that Dr. Panayiotis Zavos of Lexington, Ky., could eventually succeed in creating the world’s first baby that is genetically identical to its parent.
“It is scary,” said Dr. Robert Lanza , vice president for research at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester. “It tells you that he is an amateur playing in this field, but on the other hand he has a knowledge base that you can’t dismiss.”