Why was taking Henrietta Lacks cells unethical?

Some have called for a reduction in the use of HeLa cells in research, or even an end to their use entirely. The argument is that, because the cells were obtained without Lacks’s knowledge or consent (even though this was legal at the time), any use of them is unethical and perpetuates an injustice.

Was Henrietta Lacks study unethical?

“Henrietta Lacks’s story has brought public attention to a number of ethical issues in biomedical research, including the role of informed consent, privacy, and commercialization in the collection, use and dissemination of biospecimens,” Dr. Shields says.

Why were Johns Hopkins scientists able to take Henrietta’s cells without her permission?

In the 1950s, when Henrietta Lacks was hospitalized, the U.S. health system had no established practices for informing or obtaining consent from patients when retrieving cell or tissue samples for research purposes, nor were there any regulations on the use of patients’ cells in research.

What is one ethical problem with how HeLa cells have been obtained and used over the last few decades?

9) What is one ethical problem with how HeLa cells have been obtained and used over the last few decades? they have been extremely useful there is a controversy around the use of HeLa cells. Henrietta Lacks never gave permission to have her cells collected or used in this way.

Was it ethical to use Henrietta Lacks cells?

Though the collection and use of Henrietta Lacks’ cells in research was an acceptable and legal practice in the 1950s, such a practice would not happen today without the patient’s consent.

Why is Henrietta Lacks so important?

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American woman, went to Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. Some of her cancer cells began being used in research due to their unique ability to continuously grow and divide in the laboratory.

Why did Henrietta Lacks go to Johns Hopkins?

In 1951, doctors diagnosed Lacks with cervical cancer at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Lacks kept her diagnosis private, only telling her husband that she needed to go to the doctor for medicine.

Why are HeLa cells problematic?

The most significant issue with HeLa cells is how aggressively they can contaminate other cell cultures in a laboratory. Scientists don’t routinely test the purity of their cell lines, so HeLa had contaminated many in vitro lines (estimated 10 to 20 percent) before the problem was identified.

What was the issue with Henrietta Lacks?

Lacks began undergoing radium treatments for her cervical cancer. This was the best medical treatment available at the time for this terrible disease. A sample of her cancer cells retrieved during a biopsy were sent to Dr. George Gey’s nearby tissue lab.

Why are HeLa cells controversial?

For decades, the immortal line of cells known as HeLa cells has been a crucial tool for researchers. But the cells’ use has also been the source of anxiety, confusion and frustration for the family of the woman, Henrietta Lacks, from whom the cells were taken without consent more than 60 years ago.

Why did Henrietta Lacks have no choice but to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital?

On January 29, 1951, Lacks went to Johns Hopkins, the only hospital in the area that treated black patients, because she felt a “knot” in her womb. She had previously told her cousins about the “knot” and they assumed correctly that she was pregnant. But after giving birth to Joseph, Lacks had a severe hemorrhage.