Page 19 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 6 June 2019

Trump halts fetal tissue research by government scientists

By RICARDO ALONSO- ministration official said it Last year, the administra-
ZALDIVAR and LAURAN was the president's call. The tion announced a review
NEERGAARD official wasn't authorized to of whether taxpayer dollars
Associated Press publicly discuss internal de- were being properly spent
WASHINGTON (AP) — The liberations and spoke on on fetal tissue research. As
Trump administration said condition of anonymity. a result, NIH froze procure-
Wednesday it is ending But research using fetal tis- ment of new tissue. On
medical research by gov- sue has led to life-saving Wednesday, the admin-
ernment scientists that uses advances , including de- istration also said it is not
human fetal tissue, overrid- velopment of vaccines renewing an expiring con-
ing the advice of scientists for rubella and rabies and tract with the University of
who say it has led to life- drugs to treat the HIV virus. California, San Francisco
saving medical advances Scientists around the coun- that used fetal tissue to cre-
and handing abortion op- try denounced the deci- ate a human-like immune
ponents a major victory. sion, saying that fetal tissue system in mice for HIV re-
The Health and Human was critically needed for search.
Services Department said research on HIV vaccines, The department said it was
in a statement that gov- In this Aug. 17, 2009 file photo, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the treatments that harness the trying to balance "pro-life"
National Institutes of Health, at NIH headquarters in Bethesda,
ernment-funded research Md. body's immune system to and "pro-science" impera-
by universities that involves Associated Press battle cancer, and a list of tives.
fetal tissue can continue for other health threats, includ- Kristan Hawkins, president
now, subject to additional The policy changes will not tutes of Health has been ing some to fetuses them- of Students for Life of Amer-
scrutiny — although it also affect privately funded re- a priority for anti-abortion selves. ica, said in a statement
ended one major university search, officials said. activists, a core element of "Prohibiting valuable re- that the administration has
project that used the tissue Ending the use of fetal tis- President Donald Trump's search that uses fetal tis- "once again done the right
to test HIV treatments. sue by the National Insti- political base. A senior ad- sue that is otherwise going thing in restoring a culture
to be discarded doesn't of life to our government."
make any sense," said Dr. The Susan B. Anthony List,
Lawrence Goldstein, a re- a group that works to elect
generative medicine spe- lawmakers opposed to
cialist at the University of abortion, said in a state-
California, San Diego. "It ment that taxpayer funding
blocks important future re- ought to go to promoting
search vital to the develop- alternatives to using fetal
ment of new therapies." tissue in medical research.
The government's own top The NIH is funding a $20 mil-
medical scientist, NIH Di- lion program to "develop,
rector Francis Collins, said demonstrate, and validate
as recently as last Decem- experimental models that
ber that he believes "there's do not rely on human fetal
strong evidence that sci- tissue from elective abor-
entific benefits come from tions."
fetal tissue research ," and That idea got strong sup-
that fetal tissue, rather than port from a Republican
any alternatives, would senator who oversees NIH
"continue to be the main- funding.
stay" for certain types of re- "Today's action is a signifi-
search for the foreseeable cant pro-life victory," Sen.
future. Roy Blunt of Missouri said
"Today, fetal tissue is still in a statement. NIH "has di-
making an impact, with rected funding toward the
clinical trials underway us- development of alterna-
ing cells from fetal tissue to tive research methods that
treat conditions including do not rely on human fetal
Parkinson's disease, ALS, tissue from elective abor-
and spinal cord injury," said tions and I remain support-
Doug Melton, co-director ive of that effort."
of Harvard's Stem Cell In- But the scientific consen-
stitute and president of the sus is there is no adequate
International Society for substitute for fetal tissues in
Stem Cell Research. some research areas. q