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Also, this fascinates me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa These are cells from a person, Henrietta Lacks, which can be grown
by kghose 14y ago
Also, this fascinates me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa
These are cells from a person, Henrietta Lacks, which can be grown in a dish and which keep dividing, for ever.
- pooriaazimi 14y agoFrom Wikipedia article: "The cells were later commercialized, although never patented in their original form." Patenting a human cell? That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard.
- sergiotapia 14y agoThey are patenting certain parts of DNA as we speak. It's nothing new, but it sickens me as well.
- travisp 14y agoNobody patented "a human cell". What can get patented is the method for creating this cell line. Here's the classic (and controversial, but for different reasons) patent related to the Mo cell line (T-lymphoblasts): http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4438032.html http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4438032.html These cell lines do not exist in nature and what is patented was the creation of a new immortalized cell line.
- Dylan16807 14y agoI can understand patenting the creation method of the line, but please tell me the line itself won't somehow inherit protection from that patent. But I have a sinking feeling that it could.
- polyfractal 14y agoFun fact: there are tons of cell lines that are "immortalized", usually using various oncogenes. You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality HeLa cells are certainly the most famous. It should be noted that the HeLa stocks used in most labs now are radically different from original HeLa stocks. Even in routine experiments, you have to keep a bunch of cells frozen in liquid nitrogen to replenish your "working stock" of cells. After around 30-40 passages (e.g. generations of cells), most immortalized cell lines start to get funky with mutations and exhibit different behaviors. You kill them off and go back to your frozen stocks to get back to the "original" genetics.
- pacaro 14y agoFor the interested, I can highly recommend "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" - http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortal-Life-Henrietta-Lacks/dp/1400052181 http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortal-Life-Henrietta-Lacks/dp/1...