Assignment task:
Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman who unknowingly made a significant contribution to medical science. In 1951, while seeking treatment for cervical cancer, cells were taken from her tumor without her knowledge or consent. These cells, known as HeLa cells, would go on to revolutionize biomedical research.
HeLa cells were the first human cells to be successfully grown in a laboratory and reproduced indefinitely. They proved to be astonishingly robust and allowed scientists to conduct experiments that were previously impossible. HeLa cells became an invaluable tool for studying various diseases, including cancer, AIDS, and polio, as well as for testing the effects of drugs and toxins.
Despite the immense scientific advancements made possible by HeLa cells, the story of Henrietta Lacks and the cells taken from her remained largely unknown for many years. Her cells were distributed and used in research worldwide without her family's knowledge or consent. It was only in the 1970s, more than two decades after her death, that the Lacks family became aware of the significance of HeLa cells.
What is the issue here? What kind of medical ethical issues, rules, laws are at stake? What are your thoughts? Can you find any other examples of grievous ethical research blunders?