The Lacks Family & HeLa Cells
Deborah became angry at Rebecca Skloot, snapping, “We ain’t ready for that!” when Skloot asked Deborah about these items of Henrietta’s.
What is Henrietta’s medical records? (p. 239)
This is the scientist who sent Susan Hsu to draw blood from some of the Lacks family in 1973.
Who is Victor McKusick? (pp. 181-182)
This person’s cell line (named “Mo”) spurred an important legal case regarding tissue ownership.
Who is John Moore? (Ch. 25)
Skloot identifies these as two main issues to be resolved related to the use of tissues in medical research.
What are consent and money (commercialization)? (p. 317)
Day and other Lacks family members thought scientists wanted to draw blood from the Lacks family to test the family to see if they had the same cancer as Henrietta. However, this is the actual reason they drew blood.
What is for genetic testing—to compare the family’s DNA to HeLa to find genetic markers to identify Henrietta’s cells? (pp. 181-182)
This cancer researcher is the person who gave Deborah a print of Henrietta’s chromosomes and invited the Lacks family to visit Johns Hopkins to look at HeLa cells.
Who is Christoph Lengauer? (pp. 234-235)
A German scientist discovered the cause of Henrietta’s cervical cancer was this sexually transmitted virus that injects DNA into the host cell and produces proteins that lead to cancer.
What is HPV, the Human Papilloma Virus? (pp. 212-213).
This is what the GINA legislation in 2008 aimed to prevent.
What is discrimination based on genetic information? (p. 319)
This member of the Lacks family learned about Henrietta’s cells being “alive” and used in research from the brother-in-law of a friend who was using HeLa cells in his lab.
Who is Bobette? (pp. 179-180)
This is what Victor McKusick gave to Deborah to explain more about her mother’s cells, but Deborah struggled to understand it.
What is a Medical Genetics textbook? (p. 188)
A doctor told this person that his antibodies were valuable, and he later founded the company Essential Biologicals so he and others could profit from their own tissue and other biological materials.
Who is Ted Slavin? (pp. 202-203, 325-326)
The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects is also known as the ______ Rule, which requires informed consent to human-subject research, although most tissue research does not fall under this rule.
What is the Common Rule? (p. 317)
This is how the Lacks family learned that Henrietta’s cells were being sold and companies were profiting from her cells.
What is Michael Rogers’s article in Rolling Stone magazine? (p. 193)
This author of the book A Conspiracy of Cells was a reporter who published details of Henrietta’s medical records and autopsy report without permission from the Lacks family.
Who is Michael Gold? (pp. 209-211)
John Moore discovered that researcher David Golde had done this with his cells without his consent.
What is filed for a patent and commercially developed the Mo cell line? (p. 201)
This is the answer Rebecca Skloot says she gives when people ask, “Wasn’t it illegal for doctors to take Henrietta’s cells without her knowledge? Don’t doctors have to tell you when they use your cells in research?"
What is No - not in 1951 and not in 2009 when the book went to press? (p. 315)
Deborah’s cousin Gary prayed that God would lift the burden of the HeLa cells from Deborah and transfer it onto this person.
Who is Rebecca Skloot? (pp. 291-293)
Researcher Leonard Hayflick discovered that normal human cells die after dividing about 50 times, a process known as the Hayflick _________.
What is Limit? (pp.216-217)
Scientists discovered the cause of HeLa cells’ immortality is that human cancer cells contain this enzyme, which rebuilds the string of DNA at the end of each chromosome, allowing a person’s telomeres to regenerate indefinitely.
What is telomerase? (p. 217)
Skloot notes that today if doctors want to “gather tissues for strictly research purposes” such as in Henrietta’s case, they are required to get informed consent, but this consent is not required for what type of procedures?
What are diagnostic procedures, such as biopsies? (pp. 317-318).