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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."
Well, I guess this story, like the cell line, is infinitely replicating.
So in other words, are you suggesting that Dupes are the cancer that is killing Slashdot? :P
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?
It's not just tumor cells, cells infected with a wide variety of viruses do the same thing. Probably the most infamous among them are the herpes family and HIV. The cell immortality combined with the ability for the virus to remain latent are actually what makes both of those impossible to cure with current tech. However researchers into both viruses are pushing forward with techniques that could potentially prevent the virus from becoming latent which will cause the cell to die when the virus activates, thus allowing the virus to potentially be cleared from the body.
Monstar L