The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Thursday a new policy “ending the use of human fetal tissue in NIH-supported research.”

“Effective immediately, NIH funds will no longer be used to support research involving human fetal tissue from elective abortions. The policy applies across the NIH Intramural Research Program and all NIH-supported extramural research, including grants, cooperative agreements, other transaction awards, and research and development contracts,” the NIH stated.

“This action supersedes prior NIH guidance and reflects a clear shift toward next-generation, validated research models better suited to today’s rapidly evolving scientific landscape,” it continued.

 

The Daily Wire shared further:

The move is a significant win for the pro-life movement, which has long pushed for the United States to respect the dignity of the unborn, whose tissue is bought by researchers after abortions. Under the first Trump administration, the president banned intramural use of aborted fetal tissue, meaning research conducted within United States government facilities.

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This time, Trump’s NIH is going further, stating that it will not fund any research involving tissue from aborted babies. The institute frames the move as a significant milestone in the Trump administration’s efforts to “modernize biomedical science and accelerate innovation,” but it comes just one day before the annual March for Life, a significant nod to the pro-life Americans gathering in Washington who have worked for years to arrive at this moment.

“NIH is pushing American biomedical science into the 21st century,” NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said Thursday. “This decision is about advancing science by investing in breakthrough technologies more capable of modeling human health and disease. Under President Trump’s leadership, taxpayer-funded research must reflect the best science of today and the values of the American people.”

Only 77 projects using human fetal tissue were funded by NIH during the Fiscal Year 2024, declining steadily since 2019, NIH says. Simultaneously, other advances offer alternatives that can “drive discovery while reducing ethical concerns:” advances in tissue chips, computational biology, organoids, and other platforms.

In an interview with Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro, Bhattacharya noted that the use of human fetal tissue from aborted babies has sparked arguments for years, putting “a large part of the population” in an ethical quandary. Given the significant advances in science and the plethora of alternatives, he said, there is no reason to put Americans in a position that might violate their consciences.

MAHA Action celebrated the monumental win, calling the research practice “unethical and outdated.”

“Science moves forward. Our policies should too. We’re investing in modern, cutting-edge research instead of relying on antiquated technologies,” Bhattacharya wrote on X.

NIH stated:

NIH will continue to assess additional areas where modernization can accelerate progress and will engage the scientific community in identifying emerging technologies that can further reduce reliance on outdated research models. NIH will soon seek public comment on the robustness of emerging biotechnologies to reduce or potentially replace reliance on human embryonic stem cells in an effort to continue to drive modernization.

This policy update underscores the Administration’s commitment to scientific excellence and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, helping to ensure that America remains the global leader in biomedical innovation while reflecting the values of the people it serves.

 

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