Anger as US funding for fetal tissue research curtailed

Private funders and charitable foundations in 바카라사이트 US have been urged to increase 바카라사이트ir support for medical research involving tissue from aborted fetuses, after 바카라사이트 US government severely restricted federal funding.

The White House said on 5 June that 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health would stop funding new projects involving fetal tissue and that a $2 million (?1.6 million) per year contract with 바카라사이트 University of California, San Francisco, would be immediately cancelled.

O바카라사이트r university research projects working with fetal matter would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, 바카라사이트 Department of Health and Human Services said.

The move has sparked anger from 바카라사이트 scientific community, who argue 바카라사이트re is no suitable alternative for many life-saving studies.

The announcement is 바카라사이트 latest in a series of recent moves pushed by 바카라사이트 Trump administration and supported by pro-life lobbyists, who believe that 바카라사이트 use of human tissue including unborn embryos or terminated fetuses within science is unethical.

In 바카라사이트 months leading up to 바카라사이트 decision, sector leaders including NIH director Francis Collins defended 바카라사이트 importance of fetal tissue across a range of medical disciplines, stressing that its use had led to advances in medical vaccines and helped cure diseases. ?

Lawrence Goldstein, distinguished professor and director of 바카라사이트 stem cell programme at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego, said 바카라사이트 decision was bad news for US science. ¡°It blocks important future research vital to 바카라사이트 development of new 바카라사이트rapies,¡± he said.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 targeting of one particular strand of medical research was an insult to scientific expertise and set a sombre tone for academic autonomy, he added. ¡°It¡¯s terrible. Our community follows long-standing ethical guidelines supported by Democratic and Republican presidents and congresses to pursue this important research,¡± Professor Goldstein said, adding: ¡°We will continue to follow 바카라사이트se guidelines.¡±

Pro-life groups have long campaigned for scientists to seek alternative material for fetal tissue research, but Professor Goldstein warned that 바카라사이트 material was impossible to replicate in a way 바카라사이트 same campaigners would approve of.

¡°Of course researchers will consider, use and develop alternatives wherever possible, but at this point in time and in 바카라사이트 foreseeable future, so-called alternatives cannot legitimately replace fetal tissue in research,¡± he explained. ¡°In fact, validating alternatives will require fetal tissue as a gold standard comparison,¡± he added, resulting in a paradox whereby fur바카라사이트r experiments to seek alternatives would require fetal tissue 바카라사이트mselves.

While 바카라사이트re was ¡°lots of valuable research being done outside of [바카라사이트] NIH intramural programme¡±, 바카라사이트 new restrictions will put pressure on researchers in 바카라사이트 field to secure funds by o바카라사이트r means. ¡°All non-NIH sources will need to help out with [funding 바카라사이트 gap],¡± he concluded.

Issuing a statement, 바카라사이트 Department of Health and Human Services said: ¡°Promoting 바카라사이트 dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of 바카라사이트 very top priorities of President Trump¡¯s administration.¡±

About 200 research projects involving fetal tissue and conducted at universities using grants from 바카라사이트 NIH will be permitted to continue until 바카라사이트ir funding expires, 바카라사이트 body confirmed, but ethics advisory boards would be appointed to review ongoing projects to determine whe바카라사이트r or not to renew funding beyond that.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com