The ISSCR joined with more than 60 medical, patient, and academic groups in writing a letter to the U.S. Senate to oppose prohibitions or restrictions that would further impede the use of federal funding for fetal tissue or embryonic stem cell research.

A study published 2 August, 2017 in the scientific journal Nature details the first use of CRISPR technology in the U.S. to correct a disease-causing genetic defect in very early stage human embryos created through in vitro fertilization. The embryos were not used for reproductive purposes and were not allowed to develop for more than a few days.

The ISSCR opposes a provision of the U.S. House of Representatives Labor-HHS-Education FY18 Appropriations bill that would ban federal funding for fetal tissue research. In a letter sent to members of the House Committee on Appropriations, and signed by other scientific and medical organizations, the ISSCR says that, if enacted, this legislation would severely impede research that is necessary for the development of new treatments for a wide range of serious and incurable diseases. It would have a devastating effect on the future of biomedical advances and regenerative medicine.