ISSCR statement in response to new NIH policy on research using human fetal tissue 

International Society for Stem Cell Research

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The abrupt ending of NIH support for fetal tissue research will undermine the development of new therapies for diseases that affect American families. Research with human fetal tissue (HFT) and HFT-derived cell lines has been integral to biomedical progress for nearly a century and has long been supported on a bipartisan basis under many U.S. administrations. This research has contributed to fundamental advances in understanding human development, infertility, infectious diseases, and chronic and neurodegenerative conditions. HFT-derived cell lines have played a critical role in the development of vaccines that have saved millions of lives worldwide.

This research is also governed by a well-established ethical and legal framework that includes rigorous scientific review, robust informed consent, and prohibition of profit from tissue donation. While continued investment in alternative research models is important and should be encouraged, HFT remains a necessary tool for addressing certain research questions that cannot yet be adequately answered by organoids, tissue chips, and other emerging technologies.

The announcement of this immediate change to NIH policy without prior engagement with the scientific community and without advance notice for ongoing, peer-reviewed projects is highly disruptive. Engagement with researchers in advance of policy changes helps ensure that NIH’s decisions are grounded in the latest scientific evidence and that the agency is fully informed about which lines of research may be constrained or lost due to its changes in oversight. Immediate withdrawal of research support risks the loss of life-saving biomedical research and undermines responsible stewardship of public resources.

We urge reconsideration of this policy and call for NIH to engage constructively with the scientific community to support biomedical research that advances discovery and improves human health.

About ISSCR
Across more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (@ISSCR) is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to advancing stem cell research and its translation to medicine.