In conclusion, the Lacks family should be compensated because Henrietta Lacks cells (HeLa cells) have helped human bodies, improved scientist health medication, and Henrietta's life was full of unexpected news. The Lacks family did not consent for doctors to remove her cells and use it for scientific research.

Do patients have the right to benefit financially from the sale of their tissues?

If patients own their tissues, even after removal from their bodies, then it follows that they have the right to demand payment when a profitable discovery derives from them. ... Even if patients lack such property rights, there are many examples of individuals receiving financial compensation for donat- ing tissue.

What are some negatives of the use of HeLa cells?

Disadvantages of Using HeLa Cells

Scientists don't routinely test the purity of their cell lines, so HeLa had contaminated many in vitro lines (estimated 10 to 20 percent) before the problem was identified. Much of the research conducted on contaminated cell lines had to be thrown out.

How do we benefit from HeLa cells?

Scientists discover that HeLa cells are found to be an effective tool for growing large amounts of poliovirus, the cause of Poliomyelitis, or polio disease. ... HeLa cells are used by scientists to develop a cancer research method that tests whether a cell line is cancerous or not.

Who is responsible for HeLa cells?

Among the important scientific discoveries of the last century was the first immortal human cell line known as “HeLa” — a remarkably durable and prolific line of cells obtained during the treatment of Henrietta's cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951.

Henrietta Lacks: Preserving Her Legacy | David Lacks & Veronica Robinson | TEDxFoggyBottom

26 related questions found

Are there other immortal cells besides HeLa?

There are various immortal cell lines. Some of them are normal cell lines (e.g. derived from stem cells). Other immortalised cell lines are the in vitro equivalent of cancerous cells. ... The origins of some immortal cell lines, for example HeLa human cells, are from naturally occurring cancers.

Why are Henrietta Lacks important?

Why are her cells so important? Henrietta's cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown in culture. They were essential to developing the polio vaccine. ... Many scientific landmarks since then have used her cells, including cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization.

Why was the Lacks family so upset when they first heard about HeLa cells?

The Lacks family felt for years that they had been mistreated by medical professionals and were taken advantage of because of their connection to HeLa. In the HBO movie, Winfrey plays Lacks's daughter Deborah, a key figure in Skloot's book, who joined with the writer to track down what happened to Lacks.

How much are HeLa cells worth?

Scientists today buy HeLa cells and cells with modifications for anywhere from $400 to thousands of dollars per vial.

What is one concern about using HeLa cells in research labs?

For decades, the immortal line of cells known as HeLa cells has been a crucial tool for researchers. But the cells' use has also been the source of anxiety, confusion and frustration for the family of the woman, Henrietta Lacks, from whom the cells were taken without consent more than 60 years ago.

What is one ethical problem with how HeLa cells have been obtained and used over the last few decades?

9) What is one ethical problem with how HeLa cells have been obtained and used over the last few decades? they have been extremely useful there is a controversy around the use of HeLa cells. Henrietta Lacks never gave permission to have her cells collected or used in this way.

Should people be compensated for their cells?

Overall, people whose genetic material is used by researchers and helps create a profitable drug or product should be financially compensated, because it can lead to more genetic material donations also if researchers can make money then the person who genetic material created the product should get paid.

Should tissue donors be compensated?

The majority of biospecimen donors stated they should not be paid for tissue bank participation. However, a minority believe they should be paid for donating tissue if the tissue is used in revenue-generating projects. These results provide some support for the current biobanking practice of not providing compensation.

How do you compensate research participants?

Compensation may be provided as cash or in kind. Examples of the latter include gift cards/ gift certificates, gifts (toys, books), food or class marks. Researchers should consider the appropriateness of the compensation type regarding the participant population.

Can you still buy HeLa cells?

Today, Skloot says, a vial of HeLa cells can be purchased online for about $250 a vial.

Who provided a headstone for Henrietta Lacks?

Today is a very exciting day: Henrietta Lacks (aka HeLa) has been lying in an unmarked grave since her death in 1951. Today, thanks to Dr. Roland Pattillo at Morehouse School of Medicine, who donated a headstone after reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, her grave is finally marked.

Why are Henrietta Lacks cells immortal?

Lacks' cancer was a uniquely aggressive case, and her biopsy sample doubled in volume every 20 to 24 hours where other cultures would normally die out. If they were fed the right mixture of nutrients to allow them to grow, the cells were effectively immortal.

How did the Lacks family learn about HeLa cells?

For decades, Lacks's family was kept in the dark about what happened to her cells. In 1973, the family learned the truth when scientists asked for DNA samples after finding that HeLa had contaminated other samples.

What makes HeLa cells different from other cells?

Hela cells have anywhere from 76 to 80 total chromosomes, which is different from other normal cells (total 46 chromosomes). ... The telomerase, which allows for addition of sequences at the end of chromosomes, is active during the process of HeLa cell division. So DNA will not be damaged and the cell does not die.

Why are HeLa cells immortal?

These cells proliferate abnormally rapidly, even compared to other cancer cells. Like many other cancer cells, HeLa cells have an active version of telomerase during cell division, which copies telomeres over and over again. ... The result is unlimited cell division and immortality.

How was Henrietta Lacks treated at Johns Hopkins?

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer and was treated at the segregated Johns Hopkins Hospital with radium tube inserts, a standard treatment at the time. As a matter of routine, samples of her cervix were removed without permission.

Do HeLa cells produce HPV?

Since HeLa cell line is a type of cervical cancer cells, this implies that HeLa cells have the ability to express HPV L1 proteins.

Has anyone else have HeLa cells?

HeLa cells are not the only immortal cell line from human cells, but they were the first. Today new immortal cell lines can either be discovered by chance, as Lacks's were, or produced through genetic engineering. ... According to some scientists, the HeLa cell line should properly be considered its own species.

Are Henrietta Lacks cells unique?

Lacks' cells were different. They provided researchers with the first immortal human cell line ever grown in a laboratory. Researchers originally took HeLa cells from an aggressive cervical cancer tumour. These cells never stopped reproducing.