Cult group claims birth of first human clone

A cult group on Friday claimed that a human baby has been born through cloning, though there was no independent confirmation of its claims.

Forty-six-year-old French scientist Brigitte Boisselier, who is also a member of the Raelian cult and president of the Clonaid Human Cloning Society, said the baby girl was born through a caesarean operation on Thursday.

The claim could not be confirmed as the Raelians had carried out their cloning efforts in secrecy.

Boisselier declined to give further details of the birth, saying a press conference is scheduled on Friday in Florida. She also refused to disclose whether the baby would be brought before the media.

Cloning is a process by which a genetic replica of a living being is created. There is a general consensus among the scientific community that the process, theoretically, involves removing the nucleus from an egg and substituting it with a donor's DNA. The DNA, then, transfers the complete genetic code of the donor.

But many in the community are sceptical whether the complete genetic information would get transferred. If there was an incomplete transfer of the codes problems may crop up in areas of tissue creation and regeneration.

Clonaid was founded by the Raelians in 1997 and is based in Las Vegas. The Raelians who claim to have 55,000 followers worldwide, believe that life on earth was established by extra-terrestrials 25,000 years ago, and that humans themselves were created by cloning.

The movement's founder, Rael -- former French journalist Claude Vorilhon -- lives in Quebec. He describes himself as a prophet and claims that cloning will enable humanity to attain eternal life.