Fetal Tissue Research Research Articles

Attitudes towards human fetal tissue research: Survey of researchers and the public in Japan

IntroductionThe rules for human fetal tissue (HFT) research in Japan are unclear. MethodsIn this paper, we conducted a web survey to examine the attitudes of Japanese researchers (n=535) and the public (n=3,000) toward HFT research. ResultsThe results demonstrated that 5.8% of researchers and 18.8% of the public explicitly opposed HFT research, and 71.8% of the researchers thought that the rules for HFT research need to be clarified. Even among researchers who intended to consider conducting HFT research, 74.2% responded that the rules should be clarified. Although different from attitudes to make decisions regarding HFT donation, being non-religious and in their reproductive age among women in the public group were factors for accepting attitudes toward HFT research. ConclusionTo establish the rules, it is necessary to develop a system that can adequately protect vulnerable women who are asked to provide HFT.

The need for a standard for informed consent for collection of human fetal material.

SummaryThe ISSCR has developed the Informed Consent Standards for Human Fetal Tissue Donation and Research to promote uniformity and transparency in tissue donation and collection. This standard is designed to assist those working with and overseeing the regulation of such tissue and reassure the wider community and public.

Fetal tissue donation for research at the time of abortion: A qualitative study of individuals who experienced an abortion in Hawaii in 2018-19

ObjectivesThis qualitative study explores how individuals recently experiencing abortions feel about donating fetal tissue for research. In addition, we sought to identify motivating or discouraging factors that influence decision making for these individuals. Study DesignWe recruited individuals living in Hawaii who reported undergoing an abortion in the previous 6 months for one-on-one semi-structured interviews as part of a broader study investigating views on peri-abortion research practices and protections. We devoted approximately 15 minutes of each 1-hour interview to discussing the donation of aborted fetal tissue for research. We double coded transcribed interviews and identified themes related to fetal tissue donation. ResultsWe interviewed 25 respondents and identified 4 themes. (1) Individuals viewed fetal tissue donation as an opportunity to help others. (2) Respondents preferred for aborted fetal tissue to be used rather than discarded. (3) Respondents viewed the fetal tissue to be an extension of themselves, so informed consent is critical. (4) Information found online promotes mistrust of fetal tissue handling. ConclusionsIndividuals who have had an abortion are open to fetal tissue donation for research purposes. Pre-abortion counseling could be improved by clarifying the process of fetal tissue handling and, when available, discussing options for fetal tissue donation. ImplicationsInformed pregnant individuals who have had an abortion appear to be supportive of fetal tissue research and their views can differ from the concerns of ethicists, politicians, and scientists. The perspective of the individuals donating fetal tissue should be included in future discussions of fetal tissue research.

Human Fetal Tissue Research and Research Ethics Guidelines

Human Fetal Tissue Research and Research Ethics Guidelines

Can we do that here? An analysis of US federal and state policies guiding human embryo and embryoid research.

Recent technological advances have helped scientists understand early human development. However, scientists’ ability to fully explore their potential comes in conflict with national and state-level policies in the USA. In 2016, for the first time, researchers were able to grow human embryos in culture up to 14 days but stopped because of scientific and legal limits. Other researchers have used stem cells in culture to create organized models of early human development, known as embryoids or cell-based embryo models. In this paper, we review federal and state laws that affect US human embryo and embryoid research. While federal policies focus on funding, state laws are often associated with human embryonic stem cells, abortion, fetal tissue research, and reproductive cloning. Of the 29 states with laws impacting human embryo research, only 11 states ban it, and none address embryoids directly, although five states limit aspects of this research. Overall, this complicated landscape suggests that additional national guidance would help scientists and the public navigate these controversial areas of research, however, it is unlikely to happen, considering the lack of past progress determining embryo research policy.

Rescuing human fetal tissue research in the United States: A call for additional regulatory reform.

SummaryResearch using human fetal tissue has saved millions of lives through vaccines and other advances, but was markedly restricted by federal regulations in 2019. Although the restrictions were partially reversed in 2021, additional regulatory changes are needed to prevent further damage to essential research programs while preserving protection for human subjects.

Catholic Medical Association Dismayed After Ban on Federally Funded Fetal Tissue Research is Reversed.

Catholic Medical Association Dismayed After Ban on Federally Funded Fetal Tissue Research is Reversed.

Pregnant Individuals' Views on Fetal Tissue Research in the United States.

Fetal tissue research has driven significant medical advances but remains publicly contentious in the United States. The views of pregnant individuals in the United States regarding the donation of fetal tissue offer an important and previously unexplored perspective on this issue. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from two separate, broader qualitative studies. Pregnant and recently pregnant individuals (N=79) from clinical sites at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts General Hospital were interviewed individually using a semi-structured guide addressing a range of issues related to infectious disease research and pregnancy, including the acceptability of fetal tissue research. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emergent themes. Among this sample of predominantly Black (61%), reproductive-aged pregnant and recently pregnant participants, the majority (72%) generally supported fetal tissue research. The following three themes were identified: choice, respect, and meaning. Respondents discussed the deeply personal nature of decisions surrounding fetal tissue research, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and respect for the person's emotional state when approaching for consent. The ways in which participants regarded how to respectfully handle fetal tissue also shaped views about the acceptability of donation, both for and against. For many participants, fetal tissue donation to research represented one way of ascribing meaning to pregnancy termination or loss. Among this diverse sample of pregnant and recently pregnant individuals, most were supportive of fetal tissue donation for research. A better understanding of pregnant individuals' views on this topic may lead to policies and practices that are congruent with the needs and values of people facing decisions regarding the disposition of fetal remains.

Biden administration scraps human fetal tissue research restrictions

Biden administration scraps human fetal tissue research restrictions

A Letter to President Biden and Secretary Designate of HHS Xavier Becerra: Remove Barriers to Federal Funding of Human Embryo and Fetal Tissue Research.

Human fetal tissue (HFT) has been used in biomedical research for nearly a century and has led to extraordinarily valuable discoveries that have benefitted humankind. Politicization of the use of HFT over recent years has led to the creation of numerous obstacles to scientific progress in this field. In July 2019, the imposition of redundant ethics policies was supplemented with the creation of the Human Fetal Tissue Ethics Advisory Board, which withheld funding of 13 out of 14 NIH grants that were favorably peer reviewed in the Summer of 2020. We believe that these new sets of restrictions are harmful to the goals of scientific progress and call upon the new administration of our government to allow peer review, not politics, to determine scientific merit and to reinstitute the previously existing ethics policies that were more than adequate to assure the appropriateness of human fetal tissue research.

Balancing Scientific Advice with Political Realities during the Campaign to Pass California's Ballot Proposition 14.

Balancing Scientific Advice with Political Realities during the Campaign to Pass California's Ballot Proposition 14.

Stem Cell Screening: Fetal Tissue, Embryonic Cells, Both, or Neither?

Negative screening to exclude companies involved in stem cell research is frequently elected by faith-based groups of differing denominational and religious beliefs. However, what is excluded is viewed variously by different groups. As a result, an array of conflicting approaches are taken by institutions in identifying values-based exclusions on stem cells. To illustrate, some faith-based groups take a restrictive approach and exclude companies involved in both fetal tissue and embryonic stem cell research, as well as the manufacturers of equipment enabling the research. Others take a more limited approach and exclude only companies involved in one, or the other, source of stem cells. Still others see all stem cell research as a medical benefit to mankind, and take no steps whatsoever to impede its progress. Making matters more confusing, language found in many institutions’ Investment Policy Statement (IPS) pertaining to stem cells is inexact. Too often, the terms ‘fetal’ and ‘embryonic’ are used interchangeably. It is important to understand the differences in research being undertaken to clearly define the preferred exclusion. We provide definitional distinctions, together with typical faith-based applications, as a guide to stem cell screening.

What if Biden wins?

If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidential election, he will face high expectations from the U.S. scientific community. They will be counting on him to bring science and leadership to the fight against COVID-19 while reversing a host of moves by President Donald Trump that many researchers regard as disastrous. A President Biden will have vast authority to move quickly to undo many Trump policies, including those relating to climate change, environmental protection, and fetal tissue research. But he could be hampered by forces beyond his control, including which party controls the Senate, the ideological complexion of the courts, and—when it comes to fighting COVID-19—the progress of science itself. As part a special package on this year9s U.S. elections, Science looks at some science-related actions Biden will likely pursue, and how quickly he might be able to accomplish them.

New U.S. ethics board rejects most human fetal tissue research proposals

New U.S. ethics board rejects most human fetal tissue research proposals

The Ban on US Government Funding Research Using Human Fetal Tissues: How Does This Fit with the NIH Mission to Advance Medical Science for the Benefit of the Citizenry?

Some have argued that human fetal tissue research is unnecessary and/or immoral. Recently, the Trump administration has taken the drastic––and we believe misguided––step to effectively ban government-funded research on fetal tissue altogether. In this article, we show that entire lines of research and their clinical outcomes would not have progressed had fetal tissue been unavailable. We argue that this research has been carried out in a manner that is ethical and legal, and that it has provided knowledge that has saved lives, particularly those of pregnant women, their unborn fetuses, and newborns. We believe that those who support a ban on the use of fetal tissue are halting medical progress and therefore endangering the health and lives of many, and for this they should accept responsibility. At the very least, we challenge them to be true to their beliefs: if they wish to short-circuit a scientific process that has led to medical advances, they should pledge to not accept for themselves the health benefits that such advances provide.

The Implications of Obstructing Fetal Tissue Research.

A recently announced change in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy would dramatically restrict, and potentially end, fetal tissue research. The authors discuss the potential implica...

On the trail of steroid aromatase: The work of Kenneth J. Ryan

On the trail of steroid aromatase: The work of Kenneth J. Ryan

Restrictions on fetal tissue research.

The US government is halting funding for fetal tissue research conducted by government scientists.

Trump administration restricts fetal tissue research

Trump administration restricts fetal tissue research

Moral Connections:: The Relationship between Abortion and Fetal Tissue Research.

Moral Connections:: The Relationship between Abortion and Fetal Tissue Research.