The ISSCR and a coalition of nearly 80 scientific, medical, and patient organizations urged HHS today to reject the Ethics Advisory Board's recommendations to block all but one study using human fetal tissue.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), the largest professional organization of stem cell researchers from around the world has serious reservations with the recommendations from the NIH Human Fetal Tissue Ethics Advisory Board. Research using human fetal tissue has a long history of improving human health and should be allowed to proceed with public support. ISSCR President Christine Mummery released the following statement…

ISSCR President Christine Mummery released the following statement regarding the first meeting of the NIH Human Fetal Tissue Research Ethics Advisory Board:

“Promising biomedical research has been delayed since last fall due to the redundant ethics review required by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ new policy on research using human fetal tissue. This research has already been evaluated by institutional ethics committees and deemed scientifically and technically meritorious through NIH’s peer review process.”

In a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) in which the Society shares concerns and recommendations, the ISSCR states, "As the WHO Expert Advisory Committee continues refining the draft framework, we encourage you to consider a few recommendations to ensure that genome editing technologies are adequately evaluated by regulators and proven safe and effective before being marketed to patients.