The procedure will most likely take place in the Mediterranean region. On Feb. 4, the New York Times Magazine will run a cover story about a Canadian-based cult, the Raelians, seeking to do the same. Human cloning can refer to either reproductive or therapeutic cloning. The process is known as nuclear transfer. The resulting embryo may be implanted in a woman and carried to birth.
Proponents say the process is a logical extension of infertility treatments.
Critics say it is an unproven and potentially unsafe procedure that could place the first cloned children at serious risk of birth defects. Therapeutic cloning produces human embryos for purposes of extracting stem cells, primordial cells capable of becoming any type of tissue in the body such as blood or nerve tissue. Stem cell research holds the potential cure for many diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The embryos are eventually discarded, a fact that pits many pro-life groups against the procedure. Currently, there is no federal law prohibiting privately funded human cloning.