1. In your opinion, what was the most ethically questionable research practice described in chapters 17/18? Why?
2. Describe three ways that the use of HeLa cells in research moved biology forward between 1954 and 1966 (more are mentioned in the reading....take your choice).
1. In these chapters many awful and unethical tests were done on patients who did not even know they were the subjects of these experiments. Although I think there were many ethically questionable research practices described in these chapters one that really caught my attention were the tests conducted by Chester Southam in which he injected his cancer patients with HeLa cells to test whether or not they caused cancer in humans. Although he was conducting this research to possibly help the scientists that had been working closely with HeLa cells, it is ethically questionable because it is dangerous to inject a person with cells which may or may not cause cancer. When asked why he withheld information from his patients he stated that he was withholding the information because he worried the patients may refuse to participate in his study if they knew what he was truly injecting into their bodies. All people deserve to be able to control what is done to their own body and by scientists withholding information because they want to conduct research is not ethical. Researchers must disclose all information to their patients before beginning any tests on them.
ReplyDelete2. Below are three ways in which the use of HeLa cells moved biology forward between 1954 and 1966:
1. 1960 – HeLa cells were sent into space in the second satellite along with humans so scientists could test cellular changes that occur in humans in space because radiation levels are higher beyond the ozone layer. This also allowed scientists to study the nutritional needs of cells in space, and compare cancerous and noncancerous cells in zero gravity.
2. The National Cancer Institute used HeLa and other cells to test over 30,000 chemicals and other substances. Some of these tests helped in the production of modern-day chemotherapy drugs such as Vincristine and Taxol.
3. HeLa cells were used in 1965 by Henry Harris and John Watkins to create the first human-animal hybrid cells. These cells contained equal amounts of Henrietta’s DNA and mouse DNA. Experiments like this had been conducted before but HeLa cells allowed human cells to be combined with other cells through this process. This research over time allowed scientists to start mapping human genes by tracking the order in which genetic traits disappeared.
Probably the most ethically problematic research practice described was those conducted by Chester Southam on cancer cell injection. Why this experiment was so ethically problematic was because Southam did not make sure his test subjects were fully informed of what he was injecting them with, and often were in situations where they could be easily coerced into cooperation, like in a penitentiary.
ReplyDelete1) One area in which HeLa cells contributed to moving biology forward was their use in discovering the effects of a zero-gravity vacuum when researchers sent them into space during the cold war.
2) They were also used to study Somatic Cell Fusion, with breakthroughs in 1960 and 1965 (when human and chicken cells were fused).
3) The National Cancer Institute found use for these cells to test thousands of chemicals and compounds, and these tests have contributed to the creation of many chemotherapy drugs.
1. In my opinion, the most ethically questionable research practice in chapters 17/18 was the that Chester Southam conducted in 1954. The fact that he injected five million HeLa cells into cancer patients, without informing them of the real reason of doing this, and lying to them, saying that he was testing their immune systems. He then began to test the same thing on healthy people and prisoners. The prisoners volunteered for this to do right onto their wrongs, and I do not think that Chester should have gone through with this. It violates their autonomous right to make their own decisions and they right to know and withholding the information violates their right to know the information that affects their lives.
ReplyDelete2a. In 1960, NASA shot vials of HeLa cells into space in the Discoverer XVIII satellite. This helped not only further the knowledge of HeLa cells, but about all cultured cells and about the development of cancer.
b. 1960- somatic cell fusion or "cell sex"
c. 1965- Henry Harris and John Watkins: fused HeLa cells with mouse cells and created the first human-animal hybrids-cells. This furthered the study of genes and their functions. Later, scientists began to "map genetic traits to specific chromosomes,(human genome map)
-created the first monoclonal antibodies
- created cancer therapies
I thought that the Chester Southam practice conducted in 1954 was very interesting because of the ideology behind it. The fact that this guy thought that germs and virus itself would be passed on to the people that were trying to test it... Could you actually get cancer from working with HeLa cells? This was extremely unethical because the Southam injected 5 million of Henrietta's cells into the patients and told them he was testing their immune system. This straight and pure lying and there is no way around that. There are some cases when it might be okay to do something of this nature but this was not one of them.
ReplyDelete1.Somatic Cell Fusion between 1960-1965 (i believe)
2. Harris and Watkins mixed(hybrid) of human and animals.
3. Humans were sent into space to test the change that happens to the cell once they leave the ozone.
From Kai
ReplyDelete1) There was a lot of ethically questionable research practices described throughout the book but one in chapter 17/19 was personally the hardest. Chester Southam, decided he wanted to test if HeLa cells could cause cancer. It was immoral in the way he didn’t tell his patients what he was injecting them with, he simply said he was testing there immune system. However, he was using already sick cancer patients and volunteers from jail. After he got his results he decided to test every patient that came in the hospital telling them he was testing for cancer. I think it was good that Southam asked the prisoners to volunteer and telling them the uncertainty and risk they would be taking, but I also think it is unethical for him to use patients without their permission, simply because he is afraid they won’t volunteer. His research is very questionable because he is testing for peoples own good who are surrounded by these cells but then again he is going against the patients’ rights by not telling them what he is injecting them with.
2) - NASA and the Russian space program sent HeLa cells up into space thinking the radiation levels were higher beyond the ozone layer and it could cause cardiovascular changes. All of these factors helped see if the cell would act differently in zero gravity.
- The National cancer institute was using multiple cells including HeLa cells to screen more than 30,000 chemicals and plant extracts, which would helped several of today’s most widely used chemotherapy drugs.
- The French in 1960 discovered somatic cell infusion or "cell sex" with HeLa cells.
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ReplyDeleteEmma Lasky
ReplyDelete1. In your opinion, what was the most ethically questionable research practice described in chapters 17/18? Why?
There were many ethically and highly questionable research practices done during this time period, but the most noticeable “practice” done was most likely the test done by Chester Southam. I think this was the most questionable practice done by far because he injected cancerous HeLa cells into patients. He did this to see if the cells would spread into the patient he injected it into and if it would cause them to soon have cancer as well. It could be said by some that this test would help other researchers discover more about the HeLa cells, but it still seems like an extremely risky and illegal experiment.
2.
2. Describe three ways that the use of HeLa cells in research moved biology forward between 1954 and 1966 (more are mentioned in the reading....take your choice).
1. The use of these cells within the National Cancer Institute to test many thousands of drugs and chemicals in order to see how the HeLa cells would react to such items. This most likely helped scientists narrow down certain types of materials that could be used.
2. The use of these cells in space by testing out the change of cell structure when placed in a zero-gravity vacuum environment.
3. The discovery of “cell-sex”, also known as cell infusion.
I think the most ethically questionable research was injecting HeLa cells into prisoners. The scientists and researchers specifically targeted a vulnerable population that does not have full rights of consent. Additionally, the rest of society would not be as concerned with the abuse of prisoners. The researchers also injected HeLa cells into terminally ill patients and people who had debilitating diseases that limited their ability to provide informed consent.
ReplyDelete1) HeLa cells were used in live cell cultures to compare their behavior to normal cells that become malignant.
2) HeLa cells were used in the production of human-animal hybrid cells with genetic material from both humans and another organism. Through somatic cell fusion, the daughter cells had chromosomes from both organisms. Over time, the daughter cells shed the human chromosomes. As this happened, researchers were able to identify which chromosome housed genes for certain enzymes and proteins as the cell stopped producing them.
3) HeLa cells were also used to study the effect of zero gravity on human cells.