NIH Pauses Virus Research Amid White House Concerns Over “Gain-of-Function” Experiments
The National Institutes of Health has suspended numerous research projects modifying viruses, a move prompted by White House scrutiny and raising concerns about hindering the development of new drugs and vaccines.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has temporarily halted several research projects involving the modification of viruses following an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump on May 5. The order aimed to increase oversight of “gain-of-function” research – studies that alter viruses to enhance their characteristics, such as transmissibility. According to a July 11 report in the journal Science, the NIH has requested scientists either halt or modify their work to reduce potential risks.
Understanding Gain-of-Function Research
Gain-of-function experiments are conducted to better understand how pathogens function, with the ultimate goal of developing more effective countermeasures. However, the practice remains highly debated due to inherent safety concerns. The core principle involves deliberately modifying a virus to observe the effects of new capabilities, allowing researchers to anticipate and prepare for potential outbreaks.
Concerns surrounding this type of research first surfaced in 2011 when scientists successfully modified the avian flu virus to facilitate easier transmission among mammals. That work was initially paused before resuming years later with enhanced safety protocols. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue back into sharp focus.
Some Republican politicians and scientists, including President Trump, initially suggested that gain-of-function research may have inadvertently contributed to the emergence of the coronavirus. However, this “lab leak” hypothesis has been largely discredited by the scientific community in recent years.
Despite the ongoing debate, the NIH has identified 40 projects as problematic and is reviewing an additional 172. Science reports that nearly half of the affected projects focus on tuberculosis, with others targeting COVID-19, influenza, dengue, and Zika viruses.
Vague Guidelines Create Uncertainty
Scientists interviewed by Science expressed concern over the ambiguity of the executive order. “It is difficult to determine which projects will be paused,” one researcher stated, adding that a comprehensive risk-benefit analysis of ongoing research appears to have been absent. According to the report, 17 projects have been suspended “as a precaution,” encompassing both high-risk experiments and routine studies with minimal danger.
Illustrating this point, one suspended study focused on developing protective antibodies against two deadly viruses – even though the research did not involve the live viruses themselves. Another interrupted project aimed to modify the influenza virus for cancer treatment.
Experts warn that these broadly applied, ambiguous criteria could significantly impede the development of new drugs and vaccines. “These experiences that are targeted by NIH are essential to develop new drugs or vaccines,” one expert concluded. “These new ambiguous criteria applied unilaterally could reduce our ability to react to new infectious threats.”
