Summary: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta’s cell helped us fight a lot of diseases just because her cells

The Lacks Family E  HeLa cells were discovered over sixty years ago. HeLa cells have become the foundation to many modern vaccines and have been used in scientific research since its discovery. If one were to step into a cell culture lab anywhere in the world and open its freezers, there would be millions of HeLa cells in small vials behind its doors. As much of a remarkable discovery as they may be, many fail to recognize their origin. HeLa cells were not a creation made by man in a lab, but a discovery found inside a woman.

They were used to test the first polio vaccine by Jonas Salk in the 1950s. Jonas observed that the HeLa cells were easily infected by poliomyelitis, which caused the infected cells to die. A very big volume of HeLa cells was needed for Jonas' polio vaccine testing. In 1953 spring, a culture factory was made at Tuskegee University to supply labs with HeLa cells. In 1953 HeLa cells were successfully cloned by Theodore Puck and Philip I Marcus at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, cloning, cancer improvement, gene mapping, HPV and HIV vaccines are only few of the abundant discoveries, saved lives, and scientific advancements, and ethical improvements owed to Henrietta Lacks, aka. “the modern mother of medicine" and her immortal cells. Henrietta lacks a African American woman, born in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia, by the age of 20 was married with two children and they later mover to for work where Henrietta and her husband had three more children. In 1951 Henrietta began to experience excruciating pain and abnormal bleeding in her uterus later confirmed as cervical cancer at John Hopkins. During her consented autopsy the doctors operating on Henrietta took a piece of her biopsy thus

There is an undeniable interweaving between the histories of medicine and biomedical research. The two intricate stories can be viewed as one positive history which has brought overall beneficial outcomes for the general well-being of society. However, there is an often overlooked component, one of medical exploitation and manipulation for the purpose of biomedical advances, that is interlaced within these histories. This history is epitomized by the widespread use of HeLa cells in biomedical research. HeLa cells are the first immortal line of human cells, and since their discovery in 1951 have been “the standard laboratory workhorse” (Skloot 4).

Maybe figure out how to duplicate the cells and use it for other drugs that can help people heal better. All through this research and testing Henrietta was left in the dark she didn’t even know that the doctors removed a piece of her cervix for research purposes. She didn’t even receive credit for her cells until much much later. No one knew about the HeLa cells except for the doctors because they were trying to keep it a secret so their project wouldn’t get shutdown by not informing the patient that they’re using their cells. Some would say that the doctors did the right thing and kept the identity of the cells disclosed because later on it led to saving so many lives.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book that includes her biography, then her childhood to her tragic death; the story of her family over various decades; Skloot’s research and her relationship with the Lacks family, especially Deborah; and the story of the HeLa cells. Henrietta Lacks was known by scientists as HeLa was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951, and then became one of the most important tools in medicine. They were necessary for the development of the polio vaccine, cloning, and much more scientific developments. A doctor at Johns Hopkins took a piece of her tumor without her consent and then sent it down to scientists who been trying to grow tissues in culture for decades. Henrietta's

And them doctors said if I gave them my old lady, they could use her to study that cancer and maybe help my children, my grandchildren” (Skloot 164-165). However Day did not know that they were doing this and the scientists did not care. An autopsy does not involve taking small bits from each of her organs and trying to grow her cells for personal use. Wilbur cut samples from her “bladder, bowel, uterus, kidney, vagina, ovary, appendix, liver, heart, and lungs” (Skloot 90). Gey grew Henrietta’s cells and called them HeLa cells; the immortal cells of the 50s.

Henrietta grew up in Virginia on a tobacco farm and was raised by her grandfather. When she was 30 years old she noticed a large knot in her lower stomach, and later found out it was cervical cancer. While staying a John Hopkins, doctors took pieces Henrietta's tissue from her cancerous tumor. Though they took the tissue, Henrietta nor her family gave permission for her cells to be taken (Miller, 2010). Dr. George Gey head of tissue-culture at John Hopkins could now grow a cell line that could help find a cure to cancer, because of Herietta's cells in her tissue.

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot presents study cases, such as the study of vaccines and the polio vaccine to prove that HeLa cells have benefitted science for the greater good. The benefits of HeLa cells are shown when the Polio and HPV vaccine is talked about. The polio vaccine benefitted the human race by saving lives and impacted science by progressing further studies. Further studies included the HPV vaccine which gave scientists a vast knowledge on how cancer forms and how it is inserts insert into DNA. It is later proven that the study of Virology is the cause of scientists advanced experimentation with cancer and expanded their boarders with the topic.

The issue of privacy has been one dating back to the beginning of society. In order to protect it we have erected walls around us and called them homes, fences and called them territories, borders and called them countries. As the modern day arrived, society innovated to the point that ownership and privacy are no longer clear. Science has developed at a rate where morals and laws cannot keep up, more specifically, in the medical department. Such a problem is detailed in Rebecca Skloot’s book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

In the Washington Post Blog Steve Hendrix asserts “ Those vaccines that could have spared Henrietta's Lacks were developed from her own cells”( Henrietta Cervical Cancer). Scientist believe that her cells are immortal because of the many diseases that she had. Hendrix explains “ Henrietta had human papilloma virus which is a sexually transmitted disease”. Henrietta also had other diseases that were inside of her. Scientist believe that since she had so many different disease that this is why her cells were immortal.

In 1951, at the age of 31 Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Henrietta was under treatment at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where cells from her malignant tumor were removed. Neither Henrietta nor any of her family members knew about the tissue sample and nor did the Hopkins ever informed them of the situation. Unfortunately after Henrietta’s radiation treatment, her condition continued to worsen and soon she lost her battle to cancer on octomber 4th 1951. Henriettas cells left the Hopkins what they discovered to be known to be the first immortal human cell line.

Participation Portfolio 1 Asst 3: Henrietta Lacks Discussion Questions   Please answers each of the following questions, and be prepared to discuss in class   1. Please outline the history of Henrietta Lacks 's tissue cells. Who did what with the cells, when, where and for what purpose? Who benefited, scientifically, medically, and monetarily?

“Was It Illegal for Doctors to Take Cells from Henrietta Lacks Without her Consent?” How can you take cells from a human being and treat them as clothes that you’re just selling. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot told the story of the woman behind the famous cell line and the fact that her family did not know about Lacks’ immortal cells until more than 20 years after her death. Some believe it was legal to take Mrs. Lacks cells, while others disagree and say it’s illegal. It was definitely illegal for the doctors and scientist to take Henrietta’s cells without her consent.