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Researchers Unveil Genome of 'Immortal' Cell Line Derived From Cancer Victim
vinces99 writes "Scientists have unveiled a comprehensive portrait of the genome of the world's first immortal cell line, known as HeLa, derived in 1951 from an aggressive cervical cancer that killed Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American woman. The cells, taken without her or her family's knowledge, were pivotal in developing the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization and cloning, and were the subject of a 2010 New York Times best-seller 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.' The Lacks family has never been compensated and, until this new University of Washington study, has never had a say in how the information is used. The study, published Aug. 8 in Nature, pieced together the complicated insertion of the human papillomavirus genome, which contains its own set of cancer genes, into Lacks' genome near an 'oncogene,' a naturally occurring gene that can cause cancer when altered. Scientists had never succeeded in reproducing cells in a culture until the HeLa cells, which reproduced an entire generation every 24 hours and never stopped. The cells allowed scientists to perform experiments without using a living human. The researchers discovered that the genome of the HeLa cell line, which has been replicated millions, if not billions of times, has remained relatively stable."
what a dupe, just 8 articles later...
Doctor: Well, I have good news and bad news.
...
Patient: Gimme the good news first, doc.
Doctor: Well, your cells are immortal... but
Patient: Seriously? REALLY?! Well, what's the bad news?
Doctor: Unfortunately, you're going to die from cancer in the next 3 months.
Patient: Well f&#$^@ kn3$9$#les.
- Nec Impar Pluribus, or so I'm told.
Since its already a cancerous cell line, how can we be sure its actually useful. Wouldn't successful cancer treatments destroy it altogether? How about the resistance to genetic mutations, perhaps cancerous cells have a higher resistance to further mutations? Maybe instead of relying on one particularly incredible replication subject shouldn't have stopped us from trying to find more...
A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward. -- FDR
The original is still on the front page. Good thing we have "editors".
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
All tumor cells are immortal. i.e. they lack the apoptosis (programed cell death) that normal cells have. Tumor cells usually multiply (mitosis) slower than their normal countpart, but they do not commit suicide (apoptosis) when they should as normal cells do.
Because, in our rapidly changing socialist world, the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one. Personal privacy, freedom, private property...gone because the "collective" run by a central authoritarian control, will run everything.
Maybe folks missed the point on the original post? All of this research was from a cell culture acquired from an individual that never had a choice in the matter. All this research is going to earn mega bucks, but zero phucks and zero bucks granted by corporations to the family or individual that they have done this to, the donor. Ever wonder where the term 'crooks and liars' came from when referring to politicians? How about 'corporate bitches'? See?
Actually the number of days between when Ms Lacks died (October 4, 1951 --Google) and today August 7, 2013 is 22588 days. If the cells reproduce every 24 hours, then that's not billions but only 22588 times. Still 22588 generations is enough for evolution to take its hand (although if they are growing in a petrie dish under standard uniform conditions, the generations merely adapt to the petrie dish).
The researchers discovered that the genome of the HeLa cell line, which has been replicated millions, if not billions of times, has remained relatively stable."
The key word here is "relatively"
The fact is that mutations have arisen over the years and most scientists working with this cell line are using a variant of the original cells (and most likely a different variant than other scientists).
This cell line is the "white lab rat" of the genetics world, but like the white lab rat, it's not necessarily representative of anything except itself.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Perhaps it should say: Never succeeded in reproducing HUMAN cells in a culture..
Seems there is a great opportunity for PETA&Co. to market the first grilled burger that can be produced without any animal suffering whatsoever.
Maybe we deserve this world ?
Scientists have confirmed the release of the first immortal story on Slashdot. "The HeLa genome is so amazing," said one editor. "We just can't get enough of it."
The Lacks family has never been compensated
How much compensation do you need to pay for taking a cell sample? Should I sue my old high school for when they took a cheek cell scraping from me in human biol class?
I give blood and I know that it can be used for research. If you have a biosample taken and it's used in medical research, it's a good thing. Why should you be compensated ? You benefit indirectly when something useful is made out of it (or somebody else's). And in particular, why should the 2nd cousin's grandnephew be compensated when, as for copyrights, they haven't contributed a THING ? Not everything is about money.
Non-Linux Penguins ?
I'm pretty sure they were compensated by the fact that a god damn polio vaccine was developed much sooner then it would have been otherwise using those cells.
This crazy monetization of every stupid little thing in our society has to stop. To even think that a person should have been financially compensated -- or to remark that a person wasn't -- for something like this is completely absurd and a damning indictment on our society.
And if compensation was in any way needed, how selfish are we to even consider that bettering all of humanity was not enough?
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
I'm pretty sure they were compensated by the fact that a god damn polio vaccine was developed much sooner then it would have been otherwise using those cells.
This crazy monetization of every stupid little thing in our society has to stop. To even think that a person should have been financially compensated -- or to remark that a person wasn't -- for something like this is completely absurd and a damning indictment on our society.
And if compensation was in any way needed, how selfish are we to even consider that bettering all of humanity was not enough?
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
I dunno free healthcare for her and her decendants in perpetuity.
I work in cancer research (software). And while what the doctors/researchers did is unethical and wrong, nobody is compensated for cell lines. In fact, it costs you $1000 and a square inch of skin to have a cell line made. The only "compensation" is that you get your genome sequenced as part of the procedure. I don't mind rants about how badly physicians and researchers act. That is part of the reason they are often so handicapped by restrictive laws, they couldn't play by the rules and be decent citizens. But, making it sound like there is a lot of money or something in cell lines is just plain silly.
Radiolab did a story on this a few years ago. It's absolutely worth 11 minutes of your life...
http://www.radiolab.org/2010/may/17/henriettas-tumor/
I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
I know dead authors continue to receive royalties, but it is a ridiculous idea to expand that stupidity to other things
Nice.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.