The following recent report provides references indicating that HEK293 cells were derived from an aborted fetus:
Sander Lee, T., Feeney, M.B., Schmainda, K. M., Sherley, J. L., and Prentice, D. A. (2020) “Human Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions in Research and Medicine: Science, Ethics, and Law.” Issues in Law & Med 35, 3-61.
Footnote 81 in the article provides the following link:
This link provides a 2001 US-FDA Meeting Transcript of the FDA-CBER Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. It contains the testimony of scientist Alex J. van der Eb, Ph.D., who participated in the development of HEK293 cells. On page 81 of the transcript, when describing the derivation of HEK293 cells, which were a focus of the committee meeting, Dr. van der Eb states:
“So the kidney material, the fetal kidney material was as follows. The kidney of the fetus was, with an unknown family history, was obtained in 1972 probably. The precise date is not known anymore. The fetus, as far as I can remember was completely normal. Nothing was wrong. The reasons for the abortion were unknown to me. I probably knew it at that time, but it got lost, all this information.”
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