{"id":906380,"date":"2021-10-21T14:59:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T18:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=906380"},"modified":"2021-10-21T14:59:22","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T18:59:22","slug":"new-nih-letter-about-ecohealth-reporting-failure-raises-new-questions-about-gain-of-function-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-nih-letter-about-ecohealth-reporting-failure-raises-new-questions-about-gain-of-function-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"New NIH Letter About EcoHealth Reporting Failure Raises New Questions About Gain-Of-Function Funding"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-nih-letter-about-ecohealth-reporting-failure-raises-new-questions-about-gain-of-function-funding%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=906380&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Documents released yesterday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) appear to contradict previous claims by the EcoHealth Alliance regarding the subject of experiments on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China, raising further questions over whether U.S. government funding contributed to so-called \u201cgain-of-function\u201d research.<\/p>\n<p>In a letter to Representative James Comer, Ranking Member on the Oversight and Reform Committee, the NIH&nbsp;provided additional information and documents regarding NIH\u2019s much-scrutinized grant to EcoHealth Alliance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe limited experiment described in the final progress report provided by EcoHealth Alliance was testing if spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model,\u201d the letter, signed by NIH&nbsp;Principal Deputy Director&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/about-nih\/what-we-do\/nih-almanac\/lawrence-tabak-dds-phd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/about-nih\/what-we-do\/nih-almanac\/lawrence-tabak-dds-phd&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1634928744913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHRdcuMaw4QBHpBhHP0yyG6PBD7qQ\">Lawrence A. Tabak<\/a>,&nbsp;states. \u201cIn this limited experiment, laboratory mice infected with the SHC014 WIV1 bat coronavirus became sicker than those infected with the WIV1 bat coronavirus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NIH added that \u201cthis was an unexpected result of the research,\u201d as \u201csometimes occurs in science.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe research plan was reviewed by NIH in advance of funding, and NIH determined that it did not fit the definition of research involving enhanced pathogens of pandemic potential (ePPP) because these bat coronaviruses had not been shown to infect humans,\u201d said the NIH. \u201cAs such, the research was not subject to departmental review under the HHS PSCO Framework.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever,\u201d the NIH continued, \u201cout of an abundance of caution and as an additional layer of oversight, language was included in the terms and conditions of the grant award to EcoHealth that outlined criteria for a secondary review, such as a requirement that the grantee report immediately a one log increase in growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese measures would prompt a secondary review to determine whether the research aims should be re-evaluated or new biosafety measures should be enacted,\u201d the letter claimed.<\/p>\n<p>According to the NIH, \u201cEcoHealth failed to report this finding right away, as was required by the terms of the grant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The letter has sparked more questions about the funding of potentially dangerous research, including from&nbsp;Sen. Rand Paul \u2014 who&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/watch-sen-rand-paul-grills-fauci-over-u-s-funding-for-wuhan-lab-origin-of-virus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/watch-sen-rand-paul-grills-fauci-over-u-s-funding-for-wuhan-lab-origin-of-virus&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1634928744913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF7Lpy-izNjM__l160vaZJfncmZIA\">grilled<\/a>&nbsp;Dr. Anthony Fauci earlier this year after the White House medical advisor claimed that \u201cthe NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018I told you so\u2019 doesn\u2019t even begin to cover it here,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandPaul\/status\/1450996489862459394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450996489862459394%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsamj-3930%2F2021%2F10%2F21%2Ffatality-sen-rand-paul-drops-thread-with-all-the-receipts-of-nih-contradicting-fauci-admitting-gain-of-function-research-at-wuhan-lab%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandPaul\/status\/1450996489862459394?ref_src%3Dtwsrc%255Etfw%257Ctwcamp%255Etweetembed%257Ctwterm%255E1450996489862459394%257Ctwgr%255E%257Ctwcon%255Es1_%26ref_url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftwitchy.com%252Fsamj-3930%252F2021%252F10%252F21%252Ffatality-sen-rand-paul-drops-thread-with-all-the-receipts-of-nih-contradicting-fauci-admitting-gain-of-function-research-at-wuhan-lab%252F&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1634928744913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNED97d4wJbtEDrA6r2Ny_y0EJe79A\">tweeted Paul<\/a>&nbsp;in response to a tweet highlighting the letter and stating that the \u201cNIH states that EcoHealth Alliance violated Terms and Conditions of NIH grant AI110964.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tabak\u2019s letter stresses that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Documents released yesterday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) appear to contradict previous claims by the EcoHealth Alliance regarding the subject of experiments on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China, raising further questions over whether U.S. government funding contributed to so-called \u201cgain-of-function\u201d research.In a letter to Representative James Comer, Ranking Member on the Oversight and Reform Committee, the NIH\u00a0provided additional information and documents regarding NIH\u2019s much-scrutinized grant to EcoHealth Alliance.\u201cThe limited experiment described in the final progress report provided by EcoHealth Alliance was testing if spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model,\u201d the letter, signed by NIH\u00a0Principal Deputy Director\u00a0Lawrence A. Tabak,\u00a0states. \u201cIn this limited experiment, laboratory mice infected with the SHC014 WIV1 bat coronavirus became sicker than those infected with the WIV1 bat coronavirus.\u201dThe NIH added that \u201cthis was an unexpected result of the research,\u201d as \u201csometimes occurs in science.\u201d\u201cThe research plan was reviewed by NIH in advance of funding, and NIH determined that it did not fit the definition of research involving enhanced pathogens of pandemic potential (ePPP) because these bat coronaviruses had not been shown to infect humans,\u201d said the NIH. \u201cAs such, the research was not subject to departmental review under the HHS PSCO Framework.\u201d\u201cHowever,\u201d the NIH continued, \u201cout of an abundance of caution and as an additional layer of oversight, language was included in the terms and conditions of the grant award to EcoHealth that outlined criteria for a secondary review, such as a requirement that the grantee report immediately a one log increase in growth.\u201d\u201cThese measures would prompt a secondary review to determine whether the research aims should be re-evaluated or new biosafety measures should be enacted,\u201d the letter claimed.According to the NIH, \u201cEcoHealth failed to report this finding right away, as was required by the terms of the grant.\u201dThe letter has sparked more questions about the funding of potentially dangerous research, including from\u00a0Sen. Rand Paul \u2014 who\u00a0grilled\u00a0Dr. Anthony Fauci earlier this year after the White House medical advisor claimed that \u201cthe NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.\u201d\u201c\u2018I told you so\u2019 doesn\u2019t even begin to cover it here,\u201d\u00a0tweeted Paul\u00a0in response to a tweet highlighting the letter and stating that the \u201cNIH states that EcoHealth Alliance violated Terms and Conditions of NIH grant AI110964.\u201dTabak\u2019s letter stresses that the \u201cbat coronaviruses studied under the NIH grant to EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. and subaward to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) are not and could not have become SARS-CoV-2.\u201dThe letter concludes by re-stating the claim that the \u201cnaturally occurring bat coronaviruses used in experiments under the NIH grant from 2014-2018 are decades removed from SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary.\u201d The NIH added that while it \u201cmight appear\u201d that the similarity of several virus sequences to SARS-CoV-2 is close \u2014 including RaTG13,\u201d which was \u201cone of the closest bat coronavirus relatives to SARS-CoV-2 collected by the Wuhan Institute of Virology\u201d \u2014 \u201cexperts agree that even these viruses are far too divergent to have been the progenitor of SARS-CoV-2.\u201dThe Intercept detailed their\u00a0investigation\u00a0on the subject of EcoHealth\u2019s research.In September, The Intercept received\u00a0two grant proposals\u00a0by EcoHealth Alliance that were submitted to the NIH. One of the proposals, \u201cUnderstanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence,\u201d detailed\u00a0troubling and potentially dangerous research\u00a0conducted with bat coronaviruses in Wuhan, China. But the first release of the documents, which The Intercept received more than a year after it requested them, did not include the progress report for the grant\u2019s fifth and final funding year.Yesterday, the NIH provided that missing report for the period ending May 2019, which was inexplicably dated August 2021. That summary of the group\u2019s work includes a description of an experiment the EcoHealth Alliance conducted involving infectious clones of MERS-CoV, the virus that caused a deadly outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012. MERS has a case-fatality rate as high as\u00a035 percent, much higher than Covid-19\u2019s. The scientists swapped out the virus\u2019s receptor-binding domain, or RBD, a part of the spike protein that enables it to enter a host\u2019s cells, according to the report. \u201cWe constructed the full-length infectious clone of MERS-CoV, and replaced the RBD of MERS-CoV with the RBDs of various strains of\u00a0HKU4-related coronaviruses previously identified in bats from different provinces in southern China,\u201d the scientists wrote.Later in the report, The Intercept stated that they had \u201cpreviously asked EcoHealth Alliance about work on MERS-CoV referenced in sections of the grant that NIH released in September,\u201d and that (at the time) \u201cEcoHealth spokesperson Robert Kessler insisted that the group had not conducted the work.\u201dAccording to The Intercept, the NIH claimed to have reviewed the controversial research, and found that it was \u201cnot subject to the 2014-2017 Gain-of-Function Research Funding Pause or to the P3CO Framework.\u201dHowever, according to the letter to Rep. Comer, NIH Principal Deputy Director Tabak appears to suggest that the NIH was not aware of the problematic and potentially dangerous research.\u201cThe Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-906380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=906380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906380\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=906380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=906380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=906380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}