Open Letter to Congress from Scientists Supporting Fetal Tissue Harvesting

Open Letter to Congress from Scientists Supporting Fetal Tissue Harvesting

On October 14, 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation paid for a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post featuring an open letter from scientists with the headline, "Stop Politics from Interfering with Science and Research."

Letter

The text of the open letter read as follows:

"As scientists committed to improving the health of all people, the undersigned reaffirm our belief that politics has no place in important discussions about research and its role in advancing treatments and cures for diseases and conditions that harm people every day. In the last few months, the use of fetal tissue in research has become a lightning rod for media attention and needless controversy. It is well-established that research using fetal tissue has led to transformative breakthroughs and that it holds promise for future advancements in medicine. We offer our support for the patients, physicians, and researchers that contribute to this vital work, and we call on policymakers to reject attempts to politicize it.

Fetal tissue research has been conducted legally and ethically in the United States for decades. In that time, it has been the catalyst for major medical and scientific discoveries, including the polio, rubella, and hepatitis vaccines. Quite simply: this research has saved lives. If not for the polio vaccine—developed using fetal kidney cells in the 1950s—UNICEF estimates that the disease would claim 640,000 lives each year.

Today, the study and use of fetal tissue in medical research gives hope to millions of people and their families affected by a range of diseases and conditions. Fetal tissue is being used to develop treatments for many conditions, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, organ failure, and spinal cord injuries. It is also used to better understand and prevent maternal and fetal health conditions.

Fetal tissue research has already saved and improved the lives of countless people. As with any research, we strongly believe that programs involving fetal tissue research must uphold the highest ethical and legal standards. But we cannot allow political agendas to undermine our nation’s legacy of leadership in medical and scientific innovation."

Signatories

The following were signatories to the letter:

• Stella T. Chou, MD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Wendy K. Chung, MD, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center
• George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School
• Nicole Dubois, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Mark I. Evans, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Walter E. Finkbeiner, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• Alan W. Flake, MD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Curt R. Freed, MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Arupa Ganguly, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• Bruce D. Gelb, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Gerry Gerstein, MD, Morristown Medical Center (Ret.)
• Steven A. Goldman, MD, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center
• Louis E. Gonzalez, PhD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Valerie Gouon-Evans, PharmD, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Wayne W. Grody, MD, PhD, UCLA School of Medicine
• Terry J. Hassold, PhD, Washington State University
• Kurt Hirschhorn, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Patricia Hunt, Washington State University
• Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology
• Nahla Khalek, MD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Jennie Kline, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center
• David H. Ledbetter, PhD, FACMG, Geisinger Health System
• Debra G.B. Leonard, MD, PhD, University of Vermont College of Medicine and Medical Center
• Jon E. Levine, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• L.H. Lumey, MD, PhD Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
• Christopher E. Mason, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Joseph M. McCune, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• Robert L. Nussbaum, MD, FACMG, FACP Invitae Corporation
• Harry Ostrer, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Shahin Rafii, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Heidi L. Rehm, PhD, FACMG, Harvard Medical School
• Margaret E. Ross, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Neena B. Schwartz, PhD, Northwestern University
• Robert D. Truog, MD, Harvard Medical School
• Ronald J. Wapner, MD, Columbia University Medical Center
• Dorothy Warburton, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center
• Stephen T. Warren, PhD, FACMG, Emory University School of Medicine
• Harel Weinstein, DSc, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Tracey Woodruff, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• Robert J. Wyman, PhD, Yale University
• Varvara Zeldovich, PhD