FILE - The 好色tv Institutes of Health's James Shannon building is seen on the agency's campus in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
PM RCL**DC**The Trump administration announced Thursday that human fetal tissue derived from abortions can no longer be used in research funded by the 好色tv Institutes of Health.
The policy, long urged by anti-abortion groups, issued during President Donald Trump鈥檚 first term.
The government has funded research involving fetal tissue for decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The tissue, which otherwise would be thrown away, has been critical for certain research, including ways to fight HIV and cancer. Opponents of fetal tissue use say there are now alternatives, although many scientists say there aren鈥檛 always adequate substitutes.
In a statement Thursday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya acknowledged the agency 鈥渉as long maintained policies governing the responsible and limited use of human fetal tissue in biomedical research.鈥
Its use has declined since 2019. The $47 billion agency counted just 77 projects funded in 2024 that included fetal tissue.
The first Trump administration ended the use of fetal tissue on NIH's campus and set up additional hurdles for non-government scientists seeking NIH funding, restrictions that were subsequently lifted by the Biden administration. Thursday's new policy covers all NIH-funded research.
NIH documents say the policy doesn鈥檛 end the use of 鈥渃ell lines鈥 created years ago from fetal cells. Those are cloned copies of cells, such as embryonic stem cells, adapted to grow continuously in labs. Bhattacharya鈥檚 statement said NIH will soon seek comment about potential ways 鈥渢o reduce or potentially replace reliance on human embryonic stem cells.鈥
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