NIH Funding Human Fetal Tissue Research

According to new findings, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently supporting over a dozen research projects involving human fetal tissue.

The White Coat Waste Project (WCW) highlighted that the National Medical Research Institute is funding 17 initiatives under the “Human Fetal Tissue” category. Apparently, these projects are seen by the Biden administration as environmentally friendly and will continue through next year. The first study obtained by Breitbart News coincides with a Republican measure in the 2026 budget bill concerning the use of human fetal tissue acquired from abortions.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be obligated to finance horrific experiments where parts of aborted fetuses are implanted into lab animals,” said Anthony Bellotti, founder of WCW. He continued, “Our research shows that the NIH still backs these invasive human fetal tissue experiments on animals. We commend Budget Chairs Tom Cole and Robert Aderholt for their actions that curbed expenditures by Dr. Fauci’s agency and others. The answer to NIH’s wasteful animal labs is straightforward: Stop the funding. End the madness!”

WCW reported that the 17 active grants have collectively received nearly $22 million for the fiscal year 2024. The organization presents itself as a “bipartisan government watchdog” aimed at revealing and halting the U.S. government’s $20 billion animal testing initiative.

Many of these grants fund animal experiments involving parts of aborted fetuses. For example, one of the funded projects pertains to HIV-related research involving the implantation of human fetal tissue into mice.

The experiment’s “Research Approval” section noted that human fetal tissue was obtained from Advanced Bioscience Resources or Cellular Allocation Services, devoid of identifiable information, and did not require IRB approval for its use. Researchers described how they developed humanized mice with human fetal liver-derived CD34+ cells, detailing their process of implanting the cells into the mice’s kidney area.

Another project also explored generating humanized mice, as advised by the UCLA Humanized Mouse Core Laboratory Procedures.

The 2019 funding ban imposed by then-President Donald Trump halted new funds for fetal tissue research and discontinued all in-house NIH studies using parts from aborted fetuses. While this policy didn’t void ongoing projects, it led to a reported 50% decrease in previous spending on fetal tissue.

However, when the Biden administration came into power in 2021, the NIH reversed Trump’s ban under the Department of Health and Human Services’ authority regarding taxpayer-funded experimental research involving fetal tissue from aborted babies.

Following Trump’s re-election, current HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised a Senate confirmation hearing to reinstate the previous ban.

Breitbart News reached out to the NIH via HHS for comments regarding the WCW’s findings and whether there are plans to reverse the ban from Trump’s initial term. The agency did not respond before publication. The NIH maintains policies for research involving human fetal tissue.

While waiting for regulatory decisions, some Republican lawmakers are pushing forward with a budget reimbursement for research involving human fetal tissue from abortions. A recent House Budget Subcommittee advanced a spending bill that states funds cannot be used for research involving fetal tissue obtained through induced abortions.

Additionally, Rep. Robert Onder (R-MO) introduced a bill prohibiting federal support for research using human fetal tissue from abortions. Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), who co-sponsored the legislation, expressed his concern over allowing unethical actions by scientists in these scenarios.

Crane mentioned at a House Oversight Committee meeting that Anthony Fauci had approved funding for creating ‘humanized’ animals through fetal tissue, noting that although Fauci is no longer in his role, such troubling practices persist. He affirmed his commitment to life and integrity in the upcoming 2025 Research Act.