NIH Mothballs Fetal Tissue Ethics Board, Reverses Intramural Ban
HHS has reversed a 2019 requirement that “all research applications for NIH grants and contracts proposing the use of human fetal tissue from elective abortions will be reviewed by an Ethics Advisory Board,” NIH recently announced. As a result, the Human Fetal Tissue Research Ethics Advisory Board will not meet, NIH said April 16. However, other requirements for funding of extramural fetal tissue research “remain unchanged.” The reversal reflects the Biden administration’s policies toward the use of tissue from elective abortions, which the Trump White House had opposed. NIH established the board in 2019, and it only met once, recommending that just one of 14 applications be funded. The notice did not mention the previous ban on fetal tissue studies by intramural researchers, but it was also lifted, according to a Science article.
