February 2011: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot)

Post date: Mar 08, 2011 3:32:8 AM

Thanks to Betsey for hosting our large group and lively discussion of Rebecca Skloot's biography of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line that grew from her cervical cancer. Our group of 16 included graduates ranging from class of '46 to '05. It was especially nice to see Ginny, our long-time, long-distance member visiting from England, and see several other faces long absent.

Our discussion started with the book itself. Several of us voiced complaints about her writing style, and felt that the structure of the book, with its interspersed parallel stories of Henrietta, the HeLa cell line, and Skloot's quest to gain access to the family felt forced, especially at the beginning. All agreed that the subject matter was fascinating, and that Skloot showed remarkable courage, determination and perseverance in getting the story told. We also discussed her choice to include the story of her connection with the family, as opposed to remaining outside the narrative. The contrast and conflict between various cultures is especially interesting: Henrietta and her family live in a world far removed from the medical community into which the HeLa cells were transferred and grew without bounds, and Skloot lives in yet another one. The gaps are so wide that bridging the divide to reach understanding is remarkably difficult, and the unfolding story of Skloot's slow-growing acceptance by the Lacks family, and her own changing perceptions of them and herself are interesting.

Mimi was a terrific addition to the discussion, because she has actually worked with HeLa in her bio engineering studies at Cal, so we peppered her with questions about working with HeLa and other cell lines, including: How do they figure out if a cell line has been contaminated? (Visual identification) Was there much discussion of the sources of cell lines amongst researchers? (No)

Mimi and Susan provided a further area of discussion since they have recently had their DNA genotyped by 23andMe (https://www.23andme.com/howitworks/). This genotyping allows them to learn things about themselves, but also to contribute to various areas of research by contributing to the databank and also through anonymous surveys. We all mused on our personal feelings about the control and use of blood and tissue samples, organ donations, and surgical leftovers (can you make them give you back your uterus after a hysterectomy?)

One clear conclusion: when people believe they are saving the world, they tend to give themselves permission to bend other rules. This seems to hold true in many areas, not just medical research.