BOSTON?A group of scientists in Massachusetts claimed Sunday they had cloned the first early human embryo, a step toward providing genetically matched replacement cells for patients with a wide range of diseases.

The scientists at Advanced Cell Technology, in Worcester, Mass., say they have no immediate interest in transplanting such early embryos into a woman’s womb to give birth to a cloned human being.

Several states, including California, have banned human cloning. Congress is considering such a ban.

“This work sets the stage for human therapeutic cloning as a potentially limitless source of immune-compatible cells for tissue engineering and transplantation medicine,” said Dr. Robert Lanza, a researcher at Advanced Cell Technology.

They said they created the early embryo by injecting a very small cell with its genetic material into a woman’s donated egg.