Trump administration halts use of human fetal tissue in NIH-funded
research
[January 23, 2026]
The Trump administration announced Thursday that human fetal tissue
derived from abortions can no longer be used in research funded by the
National Institutes of Health.
The policy, long urged by anti-abortion groups, expands restrictions
issued during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The government has funded research involving fetal tissue for decades,
under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The tissue, which
otherwise would be thrown away, has been critical for certain research,
including ways to fight HIV and cancer. Opponents of fetal tissue use
say there are now alternatives, although many scientists say there
aren’t always adequate substitutes.
In a statement Thursday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya acknowledged the
agency “has long maintained policies governing the responsible and
limited use of human fetal tissue in biomedical research.”
Its use has declined since 2019. The $47 billion agency counted just 77
projects funded in 2024 that included fetal tissue.
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The National Institutes of Health's James Shannon building is seen
on the agency's campus in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 24, 2014. (AP
Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
 The first Trump administration ended
the use of fetal tissue on NIH's campus and set up additional
hurdles for non-government scientists seeking NIH funding,
restrictions that were subsequently lifted by the Biden
administration. Thursday's new policy covers all NIH-funded
research.
NIH documents say the policy doesn’t end the use of “cell lines”
created years ago from fetal cells. Those are cloned copies of
cells, such as embryonic stem cells, adapted to grow continuously in
labs. Bhattacharya’s statement said NIH will soon seek comment about
potential ways “to reduce or potentially replace reliance on human
embryonic stem cells.”
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