NIH Erases Website’s Section on Gain of Function amid Fauci Fallout

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) this month subtly erased its section on gain of function from its website following months of Dr. Anthony Fauci falsely denying that the organization funded such research.

The original page was reportedly altered this month. It featured a series of sections, including one on gain of function, which was as follows:

The term gain-of-function (GOF) research describes a type of research that modifies a biological agent so that it confers new or enhanced activity to that agent. Some scientists use the term broadly to refer to any such modification. However, not all research described as GOF entails the same level of risk. For example, research that involves the modification of bacteria to allow production of human insulin, or the altering of the genetic program of immune cells in CAR-T cell therapy to treat cancer generally would be considered low risk. The subset of GOF research that is anticipated to enhance the transmissibility and/or virulence of potential pandemic pathogens, which are likely to make them more dangerous to humans, has been the subject of substantial scrutiny and deliberation. Such GOF approaches can sometimes be justified in laboratories with appropriate biosafety and biosecurity controls to help us understand the fundamental nature of human-pathogen interactions, assess the pandemic potential of emerging infectious agents, and inform public health and preparedness efforts, including surveillance and the development of vaccines and medical countermeasures. This research poses biosafety and biosecurity risks, and these risks must be carefully managed. When supported with NIH funds, this subset of GOF research may only be conducted in laboratories with stringent oversight and appropriate biosafety and biosecurity controls(link is external) to help protect researchers from infection and prevent the release of microorganisms into the environment. (NIH)

However, the page no longer includes gain of function — only Potential Pandemic Pathogens, ePPP Research, and Oversight.

“Dr. Fauci never loses! (At least according to his left wing media buds),” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), one of Fauci’s leading critics, observed.= – READ MORE