Clonaid

File:RMX2010 Clonaid.jpg

The device at the bottom of this picture is the RMX2010 embryonic cell fusion machine developed by Clonaid. The device on the top part of the picture (not made by Clonaid) is a low-end Tektronix oscilloscope commonly used in electrical engineering labs.

"Clonaid" is the alias for a self-described "human cloning company" associated with the Raëlian Movement, which sees cloning as part of the path to immortality.

Scientists in the field condemning Clonaid for premature human experimentation have noted the high incidence of malformations and fetal deaths in animal cloning. Clonaid's stance on this subject is that the same problems are true of animal In vitro fertilisation (IVF), while assisted reproduction in humans has come a long way since the first test-tube baby in 1978.

Claims of success in human cloning

See also: Human Cloning

In December 27, 2002, Dr. Brigitte Boisselier, a Raëlian bishop and CEO of Clonaid, announced at press conference in Hollywood, Florida that Clonaid had successfully performed human reproductive cloning, and that a patient had given birth to the first cloned human being the previous day. Boisselier said that the mother delivered by Caesarean section somewhere outside the United States, and that both the mother and the little girl, Eve, are healthy. Dr. Boisselier did not present the mother or child, or DNA samples that could be used to confirm her claim at the press conference, although she did explain the procedure which she intended to use to confirm her claims. It has subsequently become apparent that the announcement was made prior to genetic testing to evaluate whether the child in question is actually a clone: Dr. Boisselier was therefore stating her belief that her procedure had resulted in a clone, not announcing results showing that the child was a clone.

In December 31, 2002, Florida attorney Bernard Siegel filed a petition in the Broward County Circuit Court to have a temporary guardian appointed for the alleged cloned child. As the court case played out over the next month, Dr. Boisselier testified under oath that there was a cloned child, born in Israel. However, Clonaid did not present demonstrative evidence that the child really existed.The court case has been widely credited for exposing the alleged human cloning company, Clonaid, as a sham.

In January 2, 2003, Dr. Boisselier told a French television audience that the American parents of the supposed clone are balking at providing DNA evidence to prove that their baby is really a clone. The parents are assertedly afraid that the state of Florida will try to take the baby away from them.

In January 4, 2003, Boisselier announced the birth of another cloned baby to a Dutch lesbian couple and stated that there would be four other cloned babies delivered by February 2003.

RMX 2010

See also: Biotechnology

What is verifiable at least is the existence of the RMX 2010, the latest embryonic cell fusion device developed by Clonaid itself and available for purchase at the Clonaid website.

Clonaid, a human cloning firm, has established an affiliate company in Korea, participants at the International Bio Expo in Japan said Thursday. Participants and foreign media who attended the first biotechnology exposition in Tokyo, said that Clonaid's vice president Thomas Kaenzig claimed that BioFusion Tech Inc., a South Korean company owned by Clonaid, had developed an "embryonic cell fusion system or RMX2010." The sources in Japan said that the RMX2010 [purportedly] creates a stable electronic pulse required to develop human embryos to the blastocyst stage. The blastocyst stage is the state an embryo reaches five or six days after it is fertilized, which is a critical step to instigate the cloning procedure. [The Japanese sources also state] that Kaenzig believes human cloning will become "commonplace" within ten years, though he failed to comment on advances the company has made toward actually cloning a human being. Related to this, an official at BioFusion Tech Inc. confirmed that the company was set up two months ago as a wholly owned subsidiary of Clonaid and that there were currently three Korean technicians and six foreign employees working at the company. The BioFusion employee [stated] that about 10 Koreans have asked for cloning services, which according to the company Web site (clonaid.com) can cost around $200,000.

— Anonymous, Korea Herald

CNN Money has listed the RMX 2010 as the fourth "Dumbest Moment in Business 2003", stating "Clonaid sells the RMX 2010, a $9,220 contraption that ... well, nobody's quite sure what it does. To help clarify the matter, Clonaid lends one to a British science museum--under strict orders not to open it to find out what's inside."

Statements by Raël

See also: Raël and Raëlian Church

In 2001 Raël, together with Clonaid, held a press conference where he made claims of successful human cloning. However, no proof of the claim was made available to the public.

In fact, Raelians have made fun of the media that gave such extensive coverage to their cloning story.

Come my beloved friends and journalists, and ask me if we did all that just to benefit from free publicity ... YESSSS!" Rael cries and bursts out laughing during a Raelian gathering staged in Montreal.

Skepticism about cloning claims

See also: Skepticism, Cloning, and In vitro fertilisation

Scientists interviewed about the announcement averred skepticism regarding both the authenticity and the ethics of Clonaid's procedures. These included Lord Robert Winston, head of the IVF research team at London's Hammersmith Hospital, and Tanja Dominko of the Oregon Regional Primate Center's monkey cloning project.

Scientists with experience in animal cloning have experienced low rate of success per implantation, where cloned fetuses are often malformed and dead before birth. Whether this is indicative of Clonaid's success is still yet to be seen, as IVF in animals is prone to the same problems. Regardless, people continue to be surprised that Clonaid does not appear to be affected by these problems; either Clonaid has been extremely lucky in discovering a superior method of cloning, they claim, or the company is making false claims. Still, it seems odd to that Clonaid is not more forthcoming with proof of their success.

In an article published April 23, 2003, The Boston Globe revealed that the company has no address, no board of directors, and only two employees, although Clonaid's website does state that Clonaid is a project name and not a company (the actual company name being kept secret). The company charges up to $200,000 for its "cloning" services. The Raëlians deny direct connection to Clonaid (especially in the financial sense), but admit being in support of Clonaid's actions.

Lack of evidence

So far, no verifiable evidence has been presented by Clonaid, despite claims that they would do this within days of their initial announcement. They claim that the parents of the first cloned child have had second thoughts about submitting their child to scientific tests, following the U.S court order in January 2003.

Dr Boissilier has since stated that providing such evidence of her claims would have her jailed for up to thirty years, following a law passed by the French government in 2004 that prohibits French citizens from performing cloning within France or abroad.

Location of Eve

On January 10, 2003, a U.S. court ordered Clonaid to reveal the identity and whereabouts of the asserted cloned baby.

On January 29, 2003, Brigitte Boisselier testified in front of a judge that baby Eve was in Israel.

References

• Raël, Yes to Human Cloning: Immortality Thanks to Science. Tagman Press, 2001. ISBN 1-903571-05-7; ISBN 1-903571-04-9.

External links

• Clonaid's website
• StemAid Clonaid's sister company offering stem-cell therapy.
• Rael.org The philosophy behind the Clonaid project.
• New Scientist story: Cloning may be 'elaborate hoax' says monitor
• BBC news story: Clonaid ordered to reveal 'clone'
• Reflections on the Cloning Case