Friday, December 2, 2011

Tissue culture price

Henrietta Lacks was a young beautiful woman, but doctors and scientists know her as HeLa. After she died, her cancer cells were taken without her knowledge. These cells become first “immortal” human cells grown in culture and are still alive today for over 60 years. Now HeLa cells have been bought and sold by the billions. However, her family did not get any money from her cells. Henrietta who becomes famous for her cells was buried in an unmarked grave; nevertheless I did not understand this fact because she had a husband and relatives. Why did it happen? Scientists, doctors, and hospitals used Hela for their research to improve medical treatments; therefore, they did not get any profits from Hela. Nobody knew when the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry. We have to clear border line for medical research. Profits should be used for further medical research work, so everybody can get benefits from research in medical. Now National Organ Transplant Act (Public law 98-507) makes it illegal to sell human organs and tissues in the United States. Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment. How do you think?

2 comments:

  1. Yes. I was puzzled as well... Interesting how she managed to keep such secrecy!
    As far as the sale of human organs... although it is prohibited and illegal here in the states, it still happens in other countries for example in Mexico. I recently watched a documentary where wealthy people paid a Doctor to kill and obtain the organs they needed for their love ones... So eventhough it is illegal here in the states to sell human organs, it still happens in other areas of the world...

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  2. how many of us are prepared to share our cells, our organs, or bodies?

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