The National Institutes of Health will no longer fund research that uses human fetal tissue from abortions, the Trump administration announced Thursday.
This decision, long supported by groups who believe in the sanctity of life, builds on earlier actions taken during President Trump’s first term to limit such research.
For decades, the government has funded research involving fetal tissue. It was justified as a tool to fight diseases like HIV and cancer. Now, many argue that alternatives exist, reducing the need for this practice.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya stated that the agency has always had rules for the limited use of human fetal tissue in research.
The use of fetal tissue in research has been decreasing since 2019. In 2024, only a small number of projects funded by the NIH involved fetal tissue.
The first Trump administration stopped the use of fetal tissue on NIH campuses and created more rules for scientists seeking NIH funding. While the Biden administration reversed those changes, this new policy now applies to all NIH-funded research.
The NIH says this policy does not affect the use of “cell lines” created from fetal cells years ago. These are copies of cells that can grow in labs. Bhattacharya said the NIH will soon ask for opinions on how to further reduce or replace the need for human embryonic stem cells.
