Light

Today’s class was all about new “news”. It started with introductions of the instructor and their personal works of art. I found it really interesting to hear about the varying applications of science and art, and how each person has found a way to fit into the world. We then transitioned into a more hands-on activity to break the ice while exploring our creative minds. In groups, we were to put a phrase to a photo of something on the UCLA campus. It was fun to wander around campus with fellow science and/or art enthusiasts and get to know them. After a break was the lecture. Haley Marks introduced us to the use of light in the scientific field. She explained what biophotonics are and how light is used to track and identify both living and non-things.

At the end of the presentation Haley Marks discusses the ethics of biophotonics, and how the community of scientists and artists are criticized for their work. This reminded me of a previous topic she explored: the HeLa cell line. The HeLa cell line is a controversial topic about immortal cells. These cells originated from a single person: Henrietta Lacks. In 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a patient at The Johns Hopkins Hospital was diagnosed with Stage I epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix. When she went into surgery, her tumor was biopsied and sent to Dr. Gey’s lab. While she consented to surgery, she never gave informed consent to biopsy her tumor. Oblivious to what had happened, she underwent radium treatments, which slowly burned her body. Unfortunately, Henrietta passed a few months later due to the tumor’s proliferation throughout her body; however, her cells became the first ever immortal human cell line. Cancerous cells often occur when mechanisms that regulate the cell cycle break down or are inhibited, allowing for cell proliferation. Telomeres are segments at the end of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. A phenomenon called the Hayflick limit explains how cells have a limited number of times they can divide due to the shortening of telomeres. Unlike other cells that Dr. Gey tried to grow, Henrietta’s cancerous cells had an active type of telomerase during cell division that rebuilds telomeres as the end of chromosomes. However, the cancerous cells in Henrietta could rebuild its telomeres indefinitely, essentially allowing these cells to outlive all others. 

HeLa cells were distributed across the world by Dr. Gey and were utilized in almost all scientific areas, allowing for advancements in medicine and research. All this brought about an ethical dilemma since Henrietta never gave informed consent. In addition, the HeLa cell line allowed the profit of many businesses, yet the Lacks family reaped none of the benefits. Some scientists argue that people have tissue removed during all types of procedures, and they do not own the rights to this now foreign body. Scientists are continuously working toward advancements in medicine. However, it is important that we weigh both the “pros” and “cons” of our actions, and realize that actions can have great effects on people.

HeLa cells dyed showing actin, vimentin, and DNA.

Resources

Bohannon, John. “Famous HeLa Cells Get Genetic Close-Up, and New Data-Sharing Rules.” Www.science.org, 7 Aug. 2013, www.science.org/content/article/famous-hela-cells-get-genetic-close-and-new-data-sharing-rules.

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York, Crown Publishers, 2 Feb. 2010.