UW-Madison chancellor writes against fetal ban

MADISON, Wis. — The interim chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has sent a letter to Wisconsin lawmakers urging them to oppose a bill that would ban the use of fetal tissue in research.

Chancellor David Ward says in the letter sent to lawmakers Tuesday that the ban would affect both fetal tissue and cells derived from detail tissue, which would hamper research at the university.

Ward defends the ongoing research involving child development, cancer and infectious diseases at UW-Madison, saying in the letter that the bill would have “far-reaching and negative effects on the university’s research.”

The Republican-sponsored bill has not had a hearing yet in either the Senate or Assembly.