Since the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs vs. Jackson, which overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling in June, allowing states to prohibit early-term abortions, some scientists have expressed worries that new restrictions will decrease the availability of fetal tissues and embryonic stem cells. Scientists say that they’re concerned that some states will even pass laws banning embryonic tissue research altogether. Although biomedical researchers aren’t sure what the future holds, many say that losing access to these valuable research tools would erect barriers to making potentially life-saving discoveries.
Scientists use fetal tissue to test drugs, develop vaccines, and study and treat degenerative diseases. State-level abortion bans, some of which went into effect immediately after Roe was overturned, will likely affect the availability of fetal tissue. Multiple states, including Louisiana, Kentucky, and Nebraska, had already outlawed the use of fetal tissues in research prior to the Supreme Court’s recent decision on ...
