The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Jan. 22 it will end the use of human fetal tissue in government-funded research.
The announcement from the agency stated that the policy to end the use of the tissue is a “significant milestone in the Trump Administration’s efforts to modernize biomedical science and accelerate innovation.”
According to the news release, funds from NIH will no longer be used to sponsor research that involves human fetal tissue derived from elective abortions.
“NIH is pushing American biomedical science into the 21st century,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya.
“This decision is about advancing science by investing in breakthrough technologies more capable of modeling human health and disease. Under President Trump’s leadership, taxpayer-funded research must reflect the best science of today and the values of the American people.”
The policy change will apply to NIH’s internal research program, as well as all NIH-supported external research, grants, and other awards and contracts.
The decision was handed down months after government watchdog group White Coat Waste published the results of an investigation in September 2025 that found NIH was funding 17 grants for research that used human fetal tissue.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) credited the organization’s work when thanking the Trump administration for pushing back on the use of human fetal tissue in NIH research.
“Great work by @WhiteCoatWaste for bringing attention to this issue,” Crane said in a post on X at the time. “Thank you to the Trump administration for prioritizing the sanctity of human life.”
The International Society for Stem Cell Research voiced concern about the possible end of funding for grants using human fetal tissue that same month, saying that “Research with [human fetal tissue] and [human fetal tissue]-derived cell lines has been a cornerstone of biomedical progress since the 1930s.
“For decades, this work has been conducted with bipartisan congressional support under both Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. [Human fetal tissue] is an invaluable tool for advancing our understanding of human development, infertility, and diseases like diabetes, Zika virus, HIV, and neurodegenerative disorders.”
Both Bhattacharya and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy confirmed during their confirmation hearings that they would work to restrict the use of aborted fetal tissue in research.
NIH said the use of human fetal tissue has declined since 2019. A total of 77 projects using the aborted fetal tissue were funded by NIH in 2024.
In the announcement, NIH said that the policy update “underscores the Administration’s commitment to scientific excellence and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, helping to ensure that America remains the global leader in biomedical innovation while reflecting the values of the people it serves.”