still re-watching #OrphanBlack
noticed, for the first time, mention of #CellRegenerationRates, and in the Orphan Black storyline, these are attributed to the cancer cells of one of the characters…
——
and suddenly thought to wonder WHY it was that, in the real world, the cancer cells of #HenriettaLacks (aka #HeLa cells) had had an unusual cell regeneration rate? Her cells, first collected when she had a biopsy in 1951, opened the door for many leaps forward in medicine and science.
for those who don’t know this story, be warned it involves ethical issues around privacy and consent, and the history of segregated medical practices in USA. Further, it was a story that did not end well for Henrietta Lacks herself.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-stolen-cells-of-henrietta-lacks-and-their-ongoing-contribution-to-science