Source: see works cited
Who/what: The publication
of Rebecca Skloots, The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lacks played some part in the justice surrounding the HeLa cell
line. In short, Henrietta Lacks was a
patient of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who died from cervical cancer on
October 4, 1951. The cells of her cancer were kept alive and continued to grow
giving scientists unlimited testing potential. The university and various
biotechnology companies made enormous financial and scientific progress with no
recognition to Henrietta Lacks or her family.
The publication brought the ethical and emotional issues into the
national and international spotlight.
When: Publication of The
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks happened on February 2, 2010.
Where: The issue of HeLa cells began at John Hopkins
University Hospital in Baltimore but has since exploded into a worldwide
ethical debate; many biotechnology
companies around the world use HeLa cells to test pharmaceutical drug efficacy.
Why: The publication was especially interesting because it
brought the issue of consent to use parts of the body to the attention of the
scientific community. More importantly, it introduced ownership of such parts
into the equation. Rebecca Skloot was
deeply interested in the Lack’s family and brought a very emotional topic to
the forefront of scientific process.
The identities explored by publication of such an emotional
story paired with innovative biotechnology appealed to the general “American family”
identity while catering to experts in the scientific field. It also catered to
the mistrust that some individuals feel toward physicians. The publication served as a wake-up call to
the scientific community that urged ethical accountability.
Works Cited:
Kroll, David. "Ethical Justice, But No Financial Rewards, For the Henrietta Lacks Family." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Sept. 2016.
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