Write an essay that educates a non-scientific audience about a significant scientific advancement derived from HeLa cells, while addressing ethical concerns such as informed consent and the historical impact of structural racism in science. The essay, 2-3 pages in APA format, should include visuals on the cover page, use accessible language to simplify complex ideas, and empathetically address societal and cultural distrust in science. It should define terms, provide background on the chosen advancement, and inform readers without taking a position, supported by at least three references.Briefly describe the writing assignment/project before copying/pasting in your work.

Today, scientific advancements have increased the quality of life and have made other ventures like space travel possible. Many of the breakthroughs in science were made possible through the utility of HeLa cells. HeLa cells are human cells from Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who had her cells collected without her permission in 1951 (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). HeLa cells are special because they are “immortal.” They can live outside the human body in a lab setting and, given time, can divide and grow the cell population indefinitely. They have played a significant role in the history of scientific growth in the West, from finding cures to developing vaccines to cancer research and the effects of space travel. This essay will focus on the advancements in space research and also address a more important point on the ethical considerations that scientists should take surrounding the use of someone’s cells. 

Scientists first used HeLa cells in outer space in the 1960s. One of the most notable ways was in the Vostok-Type spacecraft. A study titled “Results of Microbiological and Cytological Investigations on Vostok Type Spacecraft” details experiments to see if the factors of space travel would influence the propagation rate of both lysogenic bacteria and cancerous human cell cultures, including HeLa cells. The study found no significant change in the growth potential of human cells due to space flight. The findings were the opposite of those of the lysogenic bacteria, as the bacteria showed increased growth in space. When repeatedly exposed to space flight factors, there was only a more significant restoration period for the propagation rate of HeLa cells. These findings were found specifically in Vostok 4 and Vostok 6 (Zhukov, 1964). This conclusion tells us that space travel does not inherently harm our health.

Scientists should pursue Further research on specific factors that can cause harm and lethality to humans during space travel. Yet, this research paper written in 1964 showed us early on that this idea of traveling in space was humanly possible. These findings ultimately led to the space race, where America competed with the Soviet Union to see who could reach the moon first. Without the information that HeLa cells have given, space travel might have been a more hesitant topic and dream to pursue. 

These findings on outer space benefited scientific progress; however, scientists should also recognize that the way HeLa cells are acquired raises concerns on the ethical side of things. Dr. Gey, who stole Henrietta Lacks’ cells without consent, was something similar to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. In this study, around 600 African American men participated, and the purpose of the study was to see the long-term effects of Syphilis. Around 399 men had Syphilis, while 201 men did not. The problem was that the researchers did not tell the African Americans participating in the study. Instead, the researchers said to the African-American men they were there to treat “bad blood” when, in reality, they were there being denied treatment and being lab rats. The researchers did not inform them of their true intention for the study and, therefore, did not consent. Because of ethical concerns, in 1972, the assistant secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs shut the study down (CDC, 2024). This event resembles that of Henrietta Lacks. Dr. George Gey did not inform Mrs. Henrietta Lacks that he was taking her cancerous cells for research, which meant he didn’t get her consent. He didn’t even let Lacks’ family know and kept them in the dark until decades later. She died a few months later while scientists from different backgrounds were using her cells for all types of research. These two incidents lead to mistrust between colored people (African Americans) and white people in the health institutions. African Americans could not trust the medical institutions for fear that they would take advantage of them, and medical institutions had a hard time taking care of the black population. In a paper titled “Civic Learning, Science, and Structural Racism”, it states that “The Evans study, which included twenty-three interviews with a convenience sample of mothers of adolescent Black males in New Jersey, found that many interviewees expressed concern about allowing their children to receive the HPV vaccine” (Evans, S47). These concerns within the black community need to be addressed, as these concerns interfere with the health of African-American people. 

Overall, the contribution of HeLa cells accelerated scientific progress, specifically in space travel. With Henrietta Lacks’ cells, we found no inherent harm that came with space travel. The research included several factors, and the only factor that researchers found showed a stall in the propagation rate of cell growth the more the cells went through space travel. These findings led to the ambitious goal and accomplishment of the goal of sending people to the moon during the space race between the USA and Russia. Although these accomplishments were due to HeLa cells, the method by which HeLa cells were obtained raised ethical concerns. HeLa cells opened up conversations about how scientists need to be clear and have consent from people when using their cells or themselves within an experiment. These conversations had more merit due to the Tuskegee Syphilis study, which the government disbanded due to these ethical concerns. Because of the issues that these events had, there is more distrust within the black community about the medical institutions than before, and right now, our communities need to address these worries and concerns to further the health progress within America.

REFERENCES

• CDC. (2024, September 4). About the untreated syphilis study at Tuskegee. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html

• Evans, K. R., & Gusmano, M. K. (2021). Civic Learning, science, and structural racism. Hastings Center Report, 51(S1), S46–S50. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.1229

• Results of microbiological and cytological investigations on Vostok type spacecraft (itogi mikrobiologicheskikh I tsitolo- gicheskikh Issledovaniy na Kosmicheskikh korablyakh tipa ’ “Vostok”’) : Zhukov-Verezhnikov, N. N., et al : Free download, borrow, and streaming. Internet Archive. (1964, December 1). https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19650002618/page/n1/mode/2up