Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Researchers have conducted experiments for decades using tissue and body parts from aborted babies, but a new report says the process continues and that taxpayer funds are supporting it. The experiments in question involve hybrid mice and an attempt to improve the treatment of diseases such as AIDS and some cancers.

Scientists have engaged in fetal tissue research involving the mouse embryos for more than 20 years, but President Bill Clinton gave the grisly research a boost in January 1993 when he lifted the ban on federal funding.

A new report from the Cybercast News Service finds that thousands of "SCID-hu" mice have been bred for experiments and that researchers are making chimera by combining them with tissue and parts from the abortions.

The idea is to examine the immune systems of the mice and look into new ways of treating diseases.

Dan Littman, a top SCID-hu researcher at New York University's Medical Center, told CNS the research has largely been successful thus far.

The National Institutes of Health is funding the research.

NIH officials wouldn't comment to CNS for its story but the news service says it found records indicating the government is funding hundreds of studies involving the mice and fetal tissue from abortions.

There's no indication of how much fetal tissue is being used in the experiments, but CNS cites recent studies from 2005, 2001 and 2000 that make it clear fetal tissue and body parts from babies are being used.

The report also indicates the tissue scientists employ mostly comes from babies who were killed in abortions ranging from 18 to 20 weeks into pregnancy -- late-term abortions.

Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council talked with CNS about their story and said tissue from babies who die from abortions is plentiful.

"It's not that, scientifically, it's such a good source," Prentice said. "It's that it's readily available and inexpensive."

"Let's be honest, scientists are trying to save dollars -- there's only so much money in your grant, and if you can get a lot of tissue cheaply, you're probably going to go to use what's most available."