The tissue issue

Who is Henrietta Lacks? If you can answer this question, I'm impressed; if not, don't worry, you're not alone. However, within the next few months, I predict Henrietta Lacks will be as much of a household name as Harry Potter. This woman is gaining much-deserved recognition due to a new nonfiction book that's rapidly climbing the bestseller charts. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", by Rebecca Skloot, chronicles the life of a woman whose untimely death has provided the tools for some of the most advanced scientific discoveries in our time.When Henrietta Lacks died 60 years ago, she left a legacy more vast and promising than anyone could have ever imagined, and one that most never knew. The cancer that robbed the 31-year-old of her life provided the means to create "immortal" human cells that were cultured and are still alive today. Known as HeLa, the total resulting cells that have been grown would weigh more than 50 million metric tons!

It's not just the fact that Lacks' cells are "immortal", but more so that the HeLa cells were vital in developing vaccines, cancer research and discovering the effects of the atom bomb. HeLa cells have also led to huge scientific advances like in-vitro fertilization and cloning.

You may now be asking yourself why you couldn't answer the question posited earlier as to who Henrietta Lacks is. If she's responsible for some of the world's greatest technologies, why is her name still relatively obscure?

The answer is unsettling to say the least. Lacks' immortality was unknown to virtually everyone. It wasn't until scientists working with the HeLa cell line started using her children (without their knowledge) to supplement their research did the truth finally come out. The Lacks family was astonished to learn that Henrietta's cells were taken without consent and without the knowledge of those closest to her. The HeLa cells have created a multi-million dollar industry, yet her family couldn't even afford health insurance.

True, informed consent has changed drastically over the past 60 years with patients agreeing to the provision that the tissues removed from their bodies may be used in the future for research. But do they really have more of a say than Henrietta did? If they don't agree to the stipulations set down, they don't get the medical treatment they desire; therefore most sign away the rights to their body.

The general consensus is that what happened to the Lacks family was unconscionable. They were directly manipulated and deliberately kept in the dark. However, what if they had known the implications of Henrietta's donation to science? Would they have expected a big payout?

If a biopsy from a patient had the potential of the HeLa cells, who would benefit from it? Would it be the patient who gave up a part of himself, or the doctor who realized the medical implications? It's not as if said patient manufactured or created the cells in his body. Who deserves the monetary reward and the recognition in this case that's really not so different from Henrietta's?

We seem to be on the precipice of that slippery slope of biomedical ethics. The looming question of property is at stake here. Once removed from the body, does a cell, tissue, or organ then come under the jurisdiction of the scientist manipulating the ingredients in the test tube? Or is it still fundamentally the property of the person it came from?

Science historically has always come under fire for the risks it takes and the boundaries it oversteps. This dilemma is no different. There has already been much controversy over this subject, and I find myself divided. On one hand, (albeit the selfish hand), if part of my body were given to science, I'd like a little credit. Sure, the doctors and scientists who discovered whatever groundbreaking thing in my cells should get recognition as well, but I don't want to be shunted off to the side. I'd like my 15 minutes of fame, thank you very much. On the other hand, I understand the potential for dangerous consequences if every person had ownership of anything taken from his or her body. Imagine how complicated it could be and the lawsuits that would undoubtedly follow (which are beginning to be formed presently).

So, the jury is still out on this one. I don't think an answer is going to come anytime soon, but with Skloot's new book, society is being presented with the quandary. This book may very well be the catalyst for what could turn out to be this decade's much contested debate, after which everyone will be able to answer the question, "Who is Henrietta Lacks?