Social and Technological Change
Italian Doctor Says Cloned
Baby Due in January
Controversial Italian
fertility doctor Severino Antinori said on Tuesday a woman pregnant with
a cloned embryo was due to give birth in January, but declined to give
any details about her.
Antinori would not reveal the location
or nationality of the woman, but said ultra-sound scans showed the fetus
currently weighed 2.5 to 2.7 kg (5.5 to 5.9 pounds) and was "absolutely
healthy."
Many in the scientific community
have challenged Antinori's statements in the past that women have been
pregnant with cloned babies. He produced no evidence at the news conference.
Face transplants not just science
fiction
New microsurgical
devices and better anti-rejection drugs have made possible the transplanting
of skin, muscle and bone from a dead person to another -- in particular,
those who suffer facial deformities.
This week, the British Association
of Plastic Surgeons will debate the pioneering proposals, which could give
new skin, bone, nose, chin, lips and ears from deceased donors to patients
disfigured by accidents, burns or cancer.
But the main roadblock to the procedure
may be the ethical questions surrounding the issue.
