The document is a formal letter addressed to the NIH Human Fetal Tissue Research Ethics Advisory Board, signed by a diverse coalition of leading scientific, medical, and patient advocacy organizations, as well as academic institutions. The letter expresses strong support for the continued ethical and legal use of human fetal tissue in biomedical research, emphasizing its unique and irreplaceable value in advancing scientific understanding and developing new medical treatments. The signatories highlight that fetal tissue possesses specific biological properties—such as flexibility and the capacity for growth in culture—that make it indispensable for research areas including vaccine development, infectious disease study, and the modeling of human development and disease processes. The letter argues that alternatives like fetal cell lines, organoids, and tissue from spontaneous abortions are inadequate substitutes for human fetal tissue due to their limitations in scope and reliability.
Furthermore, the letter underscores the rigorous existing review processes that ensure such research is conducted legally, ethically, and with scientific merit, noting that federal law prohibits profiting from fetal tissue and that proposals undergo thorough expert review for both technical and ethical considerations. Citing the urgent context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors advocate for the potential of fetal tissue research to accelerate the development of vaccines and therapies, both for coronavirus and other serious diseases such as Zika and HIV. Ultimately, the letter urges the Advisory Board to recognize the critical scientific and medical significance of fetal tissue research in improving public health and addressing current and future medical challenges.
