Severino Antinori

Italian physician, a specialist in artificial insemination as conducted at his fertility clinic. At the end of 1993, he became the center of media attention as he helped a 59-year old Englishwoman, Jennifer F. give birth to twins. He found that once the uterus is reconditioned with hormone treatments and donor eggs are found, doctors can use much the same in vitro fertilization methods they do for younger women who experience difficulties getting pregnant. He has helped facilitate 54 births to women older than 50. Nonetheless, the birth released a fierce debate as to the wisdom of post-menopausal women having babies. Antinori staunchly denies that he is after publicity or money. He himself had two teen-age daughters with his wife Caterina, 43, a biologist. He originally trained to be a veterinarian before going into gynecology. He displays a gift for stirring up controversy, making claims that are later discounted. Immediately after that, he released the information that another patient whom he was treating, Rosanna Della Corte, age 62, was pregnant. She successfully delivered a healthy son on 7/18/1994. Antinori became passionately involved in the conflict of mid-2001 regarding cloning, in which researchers told a meeting of scientists they would try to clone human beings despite ethical objections and arguments that it is medically risky. The Italian Professor and his colleague, Panos Zavos, a expert based in Kentucky, said they intended to use 200 infertile volunteer couples in their experiments. Antinori says that his team's work will help childless couples and adds the clones will be "unique individuals" rather than photocopies. Link to Wikipedia biography