Q&A: How Henrietta Lacks' cells fueled medical breakthroughs - USATODAY.com: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of a forgotten woman whose endlessly dividing cells have led to some of the most important discoveries of modern medicine. Tissue taken without her consent when she was being treated for cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 became the first line of cells that could be grown in the laboratory, a holy grail of science at the time. Lacks' unwitting contribution to science marked a major turning point in research. The book also tells the sometimes heartbreaking story of her family, who only decades after their mother's death truly understood what had happened to her. USA TODAY spoke with author Rebecca Skloot.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Q&A: How Henrietta Lacks' cells fueled medical breakthroughs - USATODAY.com
Q&A: How Henrietta Lacks' cells fueled medical breakthroughs - USATODAY.com: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of a forgotten woman whose endlessly dividing cells have led to some of the most important discoveries of modern medicine. Tissue taken without her consent when she was being treated for cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 became the first line of cells that could be grown in the laboratory, a holy grail of science at the time. Lacks' unwitting contribution to science marked a major turning point in research. The book also tells the sometimes heartbreaking story of her family, who only decades after their mother's death truly understood what had happened to her. USA TODAY spoke with author Rebecca Skloot.
