Her name was henrietta lacks, but scientists know her as hela. One is the question of consent, faden told skloot, and the other is what, if anything, is morally or legally due to a person if something of. Ethical justice, but no financial rewards, for the. She died at the age of 31 from the effects of cervical cancer on october 4, 1951, after treatment in johns hopkins hospital in baltimore, maryland. It was the 2011 winner of the national academies communication award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics in science, engineering or medicine. Henrietta lacks film addresses ethical issues penn. It also considers the ethical dilemmas of using patient cells without knowledge or consent, the way race played a part in how lacks was treated, and the impact on her family decades later. Science writer rebecca skloot has always been obsessed with henrietta lacks, the africanamerican woman whose cancer cells were harvested and used to create an immortal cell line for scientific experimentation.
Lacks was born on august 1,1990 into a poor, black family. Upholding the highest bioethical standards johns hopkins. Hela ethical issues ongoing changes and updatesas recent at 2011 for the dhhs march 20, german scientists published genome sequence of hela line. The story portrayed in the immortal life of henrietta lacks points to several important bioethical issues, including informed consent, medical records privacy, and communication with tissue donors and research participants johns hopkins, and researchers and bioethicists worldwide, have learned a great deal from examination of these issues. August 1, 1920 october 4, 1951 was an africanamerican woman whose cancer cells are the source of the hela cell line, the first immortalized human cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. The cell line grew from a sample of cervical cancer cells taken from an africanamerican woman named henrietta lacks on february 8, 1951. Ethics of informed consent and the legacy of henrietta lacks. In an article about the history of hela cells also written by skloot that appeared in johns hopkins magazine in april 2000, the issues that faden said the lacks saga raised then still apply now. After reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks, it is easy to understand that the african american women henrietta lack s life continued in research cells form. Author rebecca skloot shared henriettas story in a 2010 nonfiction book. In the immortal life of henrietta lacks, skloot has an epiphany when she speaks with cousin gary in clover. New claims prove the henrietta lacks controversy is far. The cancer cells which went on to become the hela cell culture were not simply a byproduct of her treatment.
George otto gey was studying malignant tumor cells, trying to culture them outside the body and use them to. Henrietta lacks legacy shortly after the publication of the immortal life of henrietta lacks, congressman elijah cummings wrote this opinion piece, which was published in the afroamerican red star. In 1951, a doctor in baltimore removed cancerous cells from lacks without her. The story of henrietta lacks sheds light on ethical. Henrietta lacks is shown in a 1940s photo made available by her family shows henrietta lacks. She grew up in virginia, where her family mostly worked as tobacco farmers. The book introduces us to the woman who helped change modern medicine. Her malignant cervical cells hela were harvested and disseminated to become the first immortal cell line widely used for scientific research, including their use in the development of the polio vaccine. Without her familys knowledge, doctors used cancer cells from henrietta lacks to develop vaccines and lifesaving drugs, a case examined in a book. The history books dont spend a lot of time on the details, but many modern breakthroughs in medical science can be traced back to the cells of a poor black woman from virginia named henrietta lacks. George otto gey was studying malignant tumor cells, trying to culture them outside the body and use them to cure cancer. On january 29, 1951, henrietta sought treatment at johns hopkins hospital for pain that was later diagnosed as cervical cancer. She was treated with radium brachytherapy, the standard of care at the time, but her condition worsened. Human biospecimens have played a crucial role in scientific and medical advances.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks justin streeter the immortal life of henrietta lacks is the story of hela cells and the women and family behind them. Ethics in henrietta lacks essay example graduateway. The history of henrietta lacks and the hela cells raises important issues regarding science, ethics, race, and class. Since 1951, science has progressed much faster than our ability to. A poor black woman in baltimore, she was diagnosed with cervix cancer and forced to undergo treatment at johns hopkins hospital. National institutes of healthtom deerinck henrietta lacks is. Although the ethical and policy issues associated with biospecimen research have long been the subject of scholarly debate, the story of henrietta lacks, her family, and the creation of hela cells captured the attention of a much broader audience. However, theres always been an ethical issue with hela cell use. Learning the wrong lesson on privacy from henrietta lacks. An immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely under specific conditions, and the hela cell line continues to be a. Imagine a situation where a patients tumor cells were used for countless scientific experimentswithout the patients informed consent.
To learn about her life, check out our blog the life of henrietta lacks. In january 1951, henrietta lacks, a 30yearold africanamerican woman from baltimore, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the johns hopkins medical center. The immortal life of henrietta lacks themes shmoop. Hela cells are the cells that have helped scientists all around the world discover cures and vaccines that have saved thousands of lives.
Rebecca skloot and the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Hela cells by nishi singh is an absorbing glimpse into a strange episode in medical history centered on the life and death of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. The story of henrietta lacks sheds light on ethical considerations. Henrietta lacks, a poor black woman, was born in rural virginia on august 1, 1920. Because there isnt much information about henrietta and her family, skloot wants to tell their story. This book also highlights the research discoveries and important ethical issues ignited by the hela cells. Her immortal life had made a great contribution to the human health scientific research. John lamparskiwireimage all i knew when i first called henriettas family was that hela cells.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary shmoop. This book is following the story of a famous woman named henrietta lacks, who is known for her cancer cells. Origin of hela cells continues to impact research ethics. After marriage, she moved to baltimore where she had five kids. Lacks was treated for cervical cancer at johns hopkins in 1951. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot tells the story of the woman behind the first immortal human cell line and that of her family. Henrietta lacks was born august 1, 1920, into a family of impoverished tobacco farmers in roanoke, virginia. Henrietta lacks, the ethics of consent the researchers.
Although the ethical and policy issues associated with biospecimen research have long been the subject of scholarly analysis and debate 48, 118, 124, the publication of rebecca skloots bestselling book the immortal life of henrietta lacks captured the attention of a much broader audience. I was drawn by how the story of henrietta lacks is the prime example of why research ethics and disparities in care should remain prominent in the field of oncology. Before this book, very few people knew the source of hela cells. The cancer quickly took henriettas life, but hela cells remain viable today and. One of the major ethical issues raised by part two of the immortal life of henrietta lacks is who should own and profit from a persons dna. In fact, its ethical issues suggested those raised in the immortal life of henrietta lacks, the tale of an africanamerican woman whose cells, collected without her permission in 1951, led to profound scientific discoveries. Professionalismhela cells and timeless ethics wikibooks. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells taken without her knowledge in 1951became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Free essays on ethical issues the cells of henrietta lacks.
The hela cell line was developed in the 1950s from a particularly aggressive strain of cervical cancer cells taken during a routine biopsy from a 30yearold mother of five, henrietta lacks. Padma nambisan, in an introduction to ethical, safety and intellectual property rights issues in biotechnology, 2017. What ethical issues do we see in part two of rebecca. The ethical issues implicated in the hela story are many and tangled.
The story of the hela cells began after the nuremberg trials of world war ii. Although the ethical and policy issues associated with biospecimen research have. The lab assistant responsible for the samples named cultures based on the first two letters of a patients first and last name, thus the culture was dubbed hela. The book and film are about how an immortal cell line was generated from. The immortal life of henrietta lacks yonkers public schools. Imagine a situation where a patients tumor cells were used for countless. The book tells the story of a woman, henrietta lacks, and her family. Henrietta lacks was a real personand her cancer cells have led to many medical discoveries. Ive done my best to present them clearly within the narrative of the lacks story, and ive included an afterword addressing the current legal and ethical debate surrounding tissue ownership and research. Although the ethical and policy issues associated with.
These cell samples, taken while she was being treated for cervical cancer, have been developed and included in over 67 years of research. Rebecca skloots 2010 bestselling book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, revealed the ethical dilemmas and complex social issues interlaced with hela cells and medical research more broadly. Safeguards are in place today to prevent such an ethical breach, but in 1951 henrietta lacks and her family werent as lucky. After reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks, it is easy to understand that the african american women henrietta lacks life continued in research cells form. Origin of hela cells continues to impact research ethics university. Given how deeply this nonfictional account delves into medical ethics, politics, racism, and scientific discovery as they. This book is a must read for anyone involved in medical research. Lacks death in 1951, her doctors took a sample of cancer cells from her cervix without her knowledge and this led to the development of the first immortal human. They see her illness not as the result of rampaging cancer cells, but as something manmade i. Henrietta lacks, the ethics of consent is part two of a series. While her cells led to giant leaps in medical science and giant paychecks for pharmaceutical companies, her own kids lived in poverty.
Use of a womans cells raises ethical questions the new. The purpose of this paper is to inform others about the henrietta lacks story and how ethical issues are relevant to this case. Henrietta lacks, ethical dilemmas then and now recently i read the book the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Hela, henrietta lacks, rebecca skoot in her 2010 book the immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot told the story of henrietta lacks and the cell lines derived from her cervical tumor biospecimen cell lines known to scientists simply as hela cells. On october 4, 1951, henrietta lacks, a 31yearold wife and mother of five, died of cervical cancer in the segregated colored ward of johns hopkins hospital in. It is a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patients authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention.
Henrietta lacks became immortal, as it were, due to her hela cells. Henrietta lacks and the debate over the ethics of bio. Although the ethical and policy issues associated with biospecimen. The story of henrietta lacks, her family, and the creation of hela cells has.
Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form. Recent books, articles and plays about the immortal hela cell line have prompted renewed interest in the history of tissue culture methods that were first employed in 1907 and became common experimental tools during the twentieth century. The story of henrietta lacks, her family, and the creation of hela cells has been. The author of this opinion piece argues that george gey did nothing wrong when he took henrietta lackss cells. Henrietta lacks was a member of an african american family, and it was the hela cells that were taken from henrietta lacks that proved to be an improvement in science, more specifically and importantly, medical treatment of patients with cancer. Henrietta lackss family wants compensation for her cells. The immortal life of henrietta lacks author rebecca skloot, april 2017.
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