Washington, June 7 (RHC)-- The Donald Trump administration has canceled millions of dollars in federal research funds for a California laboratory that uses fetal tissue for life-saving medical research.

The Washington Post reports the move was ordered directly by Trump.  It represents a victory for anti-choice groups and comes as a number of states have passed bans on most abortions in a challenge to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion nationwide.

The laboratory at the University of California at San Francisco uses tissue gathered from elective abortions to carry out research into treatments for cancer, viruses like HIV and Zika, as well as treatments for neurological disorders like Parkinson’s.

Doug Melton, a Harvard professor and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, said: “With these new arbitrary restrictions on research, the United States is ceding its role as the global leader in the development of cellular therapies and regenerative medicine.”