FASEB Comments on NIH RFI on hESC Utility

By: Abigail Randolph
Thursday, April 23, 2026
On April 14, 2026, FASEB transmitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in response to a request for information (RFI) on Reducing Reliance on Human Embryonic Stem Cells in NIH-Supported Research. Effective January 23, NIH paused the review and approval of applications for new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines to be added to the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry while it sought input on the continued utility of hESCs in biomedical research. The RFI also sought public comment on areas for which additional NIH investment might be bolstered to reduce reliance on hESCs.

In its comments, FASEB emphasized the need to lift the pause on hESC cell line registration, allowing continued review and registration of emerging hESC lines. FASEB also highlighted several research areas that would benefit from additional investments, including the development of infrastructure to improve the standardization and quality of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the establishment of reference panels and banks of patient-derived and disease-specific iPSC lines and linked genomic data.