Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV In 'Berlin Patient'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/14/hiv-cure-berlin-patient_n_796521.html

Rebecca Skloot on The Colbert Report

I thought I posted this a while ago but it looks like I didn't, oops! Here is Skloot talking about the book on Colbert's show. Good example of how to explain scientific subjects to a laymen public.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/267542/march-16-2010/rebecca-skloot

Take your garbage home

On pg. 205 of the Lacks book it explained the court's stance on the ownership of one's body tissues from a case in 1988. The Supreme Court of California issued a definitive statement on the matter:

"When tissues are removed from your body, with or without your consent, any claim you might have had to owning them vanishes. When you leave tissues in your doctor's office or a lab, you abandon them as waste, and anyone can take your garbage and sell it."

So, anyone who doesn't want their tissues to be used for something would have to take it with them, so as not to abandon it as waste. This of course is not a realistic option, since it presents a biohazard and it must be disposed of properly. The average Joe is not going to have the means or authorization to properly dispose of biohazardous waste, and I highly doubt any hospital would give a patient their biopsy back should they request it, so this pretty much leaves one with no choice but to leave it in the hands of the hospital or lab. You don't really forfeit your rights of ownership so much as forcibly lose them...

Scientist take advantage of the public

This whole story should come as no surprise to us, in our science and history classes we have learned about past wrong doings of scientists involved in human medical experimentation. Experiments have been done to our own people without them knowing the consequences because some scientists and other people in charge saw them as less than themselves, they have experimented on African-Americans, Filipinos, children, the mentally ill, and the military, just to name a few. This story however is rather unique because the experimentation was not done directly on Henrietta, but instead on her cells. These experiments should have never been aloud to take place without the patients consent. I think that the patient, or the patients family, should be informed of what the experiments entail and what insights can be obtained by performing the experiments and allow them to decide if they want to be involved in any way, even just their cells. I would be willing to allow my cells to be experimented on without a second thought, but not everyone would some people feel that there cells are still part of them even if they are not attached to them any longer. If my cells were experimented on I would really like to be kept up to date with what they would be used for and what has been accomplished with the use of them, I think it would be a really unique learning experience. I think that the science world needs to be more open about experiments with the outside world, they need to be upfront and tell everyone what the outcome of experiments could show us and I think some experiments would be more readily accepted, I think this would possibly stop some of the backlash from the general population, but not everyone really wants to listen to us no matter what can be accomplished.

Rene Mares and Laughing Bear Torrez O Oil Stain Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIE1cfjcWqM

Check it out. Hope you like the music :)