Trump's ban on fetal tissue research is hindering treatment for coronavirus: Senior scientist

Thanks to the Trump administration's restrictions on fetal tissue research, a senior scientist at a government biomedical research laboratory says his ability to conduct research for a potential coronavirus treatment has been hindered.

According to the Washington Post, immunologist Kim Hasenkrug has been fighting for an exemption to the ban on using tissues from abortions for medical research -- research that numerous experts speaking on condition of anonymity say could yield positive results.

“Kim Hasenkrug is one of the world experts in immune responses to persistent viral infection, including HIV and a whole bunch of other viruses,” said Irving Weissman, a leading stem cell researcher at Stanford University. “It isn’t clear if this added layer of urgent investigations will find more effective” treatments for coronavirus, “but it’s stupid not to try.”

As of now, no therapies or vaccines for the virus exist.

Read the full report over at The Washington Post.