UNMHSC suspends fetal tissue research (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | January 6, 2018 | Colleen Heild

[CedarDave]

In 2016, the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center told a congressional panel that some of its most significant discoveries have come from its research involving fetal tissue.

Now, that research has been halted while the university investigates a prominent pediatrics physician who was the sole researcher at HSC using fetal tissue from induced abortions at a private Albuquerque abortion clinic.

“We’re not conducting research with fetal tissue samples at this time,” said Alex Sanchez, spokeswoman for HSC, on Friday. Asked when such research might resume, Sanchez said, “It’s all pending at the moment.”

UNM’s decision to suspend the research of Dr. Robin Ohls and bar her from her laboratory came in late October, after health sciences officials learned she had been transferring fetal tissue to an independent research facility in Michigan. At issue is whether she followed appropriate protocols and obtained proper approvals.

Ohls, a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at UNM, has been on the faculty since 1995. She is listed as an author or co-author on more than 60 published articles and has been active in clinical/translational research for more than 20 years. She couldn’t be reached for comment.

Ohls, according to an internal memo obtained by the Journal, has been regularly acquiring fetal tissue from Southwestern Women’s Options and transferring it to Zietchick Research Institute in Michigan since February 2017. The research facility was founded in 2012 by Dr. Tammy Movas to “develop novel treatments for eye diseases that affect moms and infants,” according to its website.

The university since 2015 has been under scrutiny by local anti-abortion groups and some state legislators, in part for its use of fetal tissue from the Albuquerque abortion clinic for research. The clinic is one of the few nationwide that performs late-term abortions.

[CedarDave]

It all sounds so innocent - research to develop novel treatments for eye diseases that affect moms and infants.

That is until one realizes the tissue used comes from unborn babies deliberately killed as being unwanted.

[CedarDave]

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[Politically Correct]

Last time I checked there were no viable treatments that use fetal stem cells.

Whereas there are numerous treatments using the patients own stem cells.

[stylin19a]

they don’t even call it fetal stem cell harvesting anymore.
these yahoos should know about Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells .
They don’t need fetal tissue to get fetal stem cells.

[Mastador1]

Novel

new or unusual in an interesting way.

Somehow that just comes across as wrong describing the research.

[shanover]

The legacy of the Nazis.