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Subject: Henrietta Lacks
Replies: 8 Views: 307

shadow27 27.08.17 - 04:41pm
Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 October 4, 1951) was an African American woman whose cancer cells were the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. An immortalized cell line will reproduce indefinitely under specific conditions, and the HeLa cell line continues to be a source of invaluable medical data to the present day.

Lacks was the unwitting source of these cells from a tumor biopsied during treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. in 1951. These cells were then cultured by George Otto Gey who created the cell line known as HeLa, which is still used for medical research. As was then the practice, no consent was obtained to culture her cells, nor was she or her family compensated for their use.. * +

arizonaf 27.08.17 - 04:44pm
heard about this story a while ago. * +

shadow27 27.08.17 - 04:44pm
George Otto Gey, the first researcher to study Lacks's cancerous cells, observed that her cells were unique in that they reproduced at a very high rate and could be kept alive long enough to allow more in-depth examination. Until then, cells cultured for laboratory studies only survived for a few days at most, which wasn't long enough to perform a variety of different tests on the same sample. Lacks's cells were the first to be observed that could be divided multiple times without dying, which is why they became known as ''immortal.''

The ability to rapidly reproduce HeLa cells in a laboratory setting has led to many important breakthroughs in biomedical research. For example, by 1954, Jonas Salk was using HeLa cells in his research to develop the polio vaccine. To test his new vaccine, the cells were mass-produced in the first-ever cell production factory. Additionally, Chester M. Southam, a leading virologist, injected HeLa cells into cancer patients, prison inmates, and healthy individuals in order to observe if cancer could be transmitted as well as to examine if one could become immune to cancer by developing an acquired immune response.

HeLa cells were in high demand and put into mass production. They were mailed to scientists around the globe for research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits. HeLa cells were the first human cells successfully cloned in 1955, and have since been used to test human sensitivity to tape, glue, cosmetics, and many other products. Since the 1950s, scientists have grown 20 tons of her cells, and there are almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells. * +

shadow27 27.08.17 - 04:45pm
It's fascinating and disturbing, her cells are still being used all the time. * +

wildfern 27.08.17 - 04:47pm
Interesting * +

shadow27 27.08.17 - 04:49pm
In the early 1970s, a large portion of HeLa cells became contaminated by other cell cultures. As a result, members of Henrietta Lacks's family received solicitations for blood samples from researchers hoping to learn about the family's genetics in order to replace the contaminated cells.

Alarmed and confused, several family members began questioning why they were receiving so many telephone calls requesting blood samples. In 1975, the family also learned through a chance dinner-party conversation that material originating in Henrietta Lacks was continuing to be used for medical research. The family had never discussed Henrietta's illness and death among themselves in the intervening years but with the increased curiosity about their mother and her genetics they now began to ask questions. * +

shadow27 27.08.17 - 04:59pm
Anyway this is on her headstone:

Henrietta Lacks, August 1, 1920 - October 4, 1951
In loving memory of a phenomenal woman,
wife and mother who touched the lives of many.
Here lies Henrietta Lacks (HeLa). Her immortal
cells will continue to help mankind forever.
Eternal Love and Admiration, From Your Family

It's so weird to think that a part of her lives on. Seems to be eternal life of a particularly fu*ked up kind to me, having your cells being experimented on en masse. 20 tons?! * +

10125141 27.08.17 - 06:46pm
Its a shame that her cells arnt used today as a form of vaccination. To prevent people in their 20,s and 60,s from getting cervical Cancer, or it recurrencing again and again after countless ops to remove it. or people today from it. I guess it all boils down to ow much the vaccine would cost, and are willing to fork out for it. * +

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