Fetal Tissue Research Saves Lives
- Research involving fetal tissue is necessary and scientifically valuable.
- Researchers have used fetal tissue cells to enhance our understanding and treatment of illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
- Fetal tissue research helps us understand how to support healthy pregnancies, successful births and healthy babies.
- Fetal cell research has contributed to the development of vaccines that have saved—and continue to save—millions of lives around the world.
Fetal Tissue Research is Heavily Regulated
- Studies using fetal tissue are among the most tightly regulated in research today.
- Robust safeguards are in place to ensure that consent is obtained, clinical and research functions are separated, and financial gain is prohibited.
- The University of Pittsburgh—and all academic institutions engaged in this work—must comply with federal and state regulations.
- PA is home to some of the strictest rules in the nation.
Leading Research Institutions Practice Fetal Tissue Research
- In 2020, the top-10 NIH-funded institutions—Pitt included—received NIH grants for fetal tissue research.