The Biomedical Field to Rebecca Skloot

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In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot writes about one women’s journey to immortality. Through the telling of Henrietta’s —the immortal women’s—story, Skloot details some of the vast changes in biomedical research at this time: The HeLa cells —the first immortal human cells— attributed to many of these movements. With these cells, scientists were, and still are, making great strides in science. Namely, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and many treatment medications stemmed from the HeLa cell line (Skloot 21). And perhaps, most notably, scientists discovered a polio vaccine using the HeLa cells. However, aside from the growths in biomedical research, Skloot highlights the corners that many scientists cut for their research. For one thing, Henrietta was not informed about her contribution to science: Henrietta’s doctors were not required to ask for her permission. The same holds true for other doctors at this time, as well. For this reason, all doctors held a significant amount of power over their patients. In short, Skloot portrays biomedical research as a practice with the need for advancements, informed consents, and a power shifts.
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Throughout the novel, Skloot recounts some of the great advancements in biomedical research. Media outlets often prematurely declared these great advancements as the solution to all disease. Similar to this case is the discovery of radium. In the 1800’s, radium was deemed to be “a substitute for gas, electricity, and a positive cure for every disease” (Skloot 46). Radium kills cancer cells, but it also kills healthy cells, as well. Notably, to treat Henrietta’s aggressive cervical cancer, doctors used radium, “[Henrietta] began burning inside, and...

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In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Skloot’s interpretation of the HeLa phenomenon gave the readers a glimpse into her opinion of biomedical research during Henrietta’s time. The great leaps in scientific research caused many scientists to become excited for what was to come. However, this excitement caused Henrietta’s doctors—and many others— to neglect their patients’ rights. Namely, many patients, including Henrietta, were oblivious to what the doctors were actually doing to them. Consequently, the doctors held all the power in their relationship with their patients. Skloot’s depictions of Henrietta and Moore’s battles show the readers the harm that was done due to this power. By and large, Skloot’s portrayal of the biomedical field is dim, but has promise for the future. And this promise for the future can only come from more pro-patient regulations.

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