US federal research on human fetal tissue has experienced a decline since 2019. In fiscal year 2018, the NIH spent $115 million on this research, while in 2024 it was only $53 million on 77 projects[1][2]. The NIH has announced that it will no longer support research using human fetal tissue to accelerate biomedical innovation through alternative technologies[1]. This change is based on the reevaluation of long-term approaches, with an emphasis on scientific rigor, ethics and efficient use of public resources[1]. HHS has banned the use of human fetal tissue from voluntary abortions in agency-funded research and will replace it with proven alternatives[4]. Fetal tissue research has contributed to the study of cancer, the development of vaccines and the treatment of other diseases[3]. NIH will continue to evaluate other areas of modernization, including alternatives to human embryonic stem cells[1].