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What are the interests and conflicts that you see between the Lacks family, Johns Hopkins, the biotech firms selling HeLa, and the general scientific community? Given what you have read so far, how would you resolve those conflicts?

User Georgii Lvov
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1 Answer

17 votes
17 votes

Answer:

There are several interests and conflicts that can be identified between the Lacks family, Johns Hopkins, the biotech firms selling HeLa, and the general scientific community.

The Lacks family has a strong interest in protecting the privacy and dignity of Henrietta Lacks, and in ensuring that her cells are not used for commercial or other purposes without their consent.

Johns Hopkins has an interest in protecting its reputation and in ensuring that it adheres to ethical standards in its research practices.

The biotech firms selling HeLa have an interest in maximizing their profits and in protecting their intellectual property rights.

The general scientific community has an interest in advancing knowledge and in ensuring that research is conducted ethically and in accordance with best practices.

One possible way to resolve these conflicts would be to establish a clear framework for informed consent and benefit sharing, in which research institutions, biotech firms, and other stakeholders involved in the use of HeLa cells are required to obtain explicit consent from the Lacks family, and to share a portion of the benefits arising from the use of these cells with the family. This could be done through the establishment of a trust or other legal mechanism, which could be overseen by an independent body or group of experts.

Additionally, efforts could be made to increase transparency and dialogue between the different parties involved, including through the establishment of regular meetings and communication channels, and through the development of education and outreach programs to raise awareness about the ethical issues surrounding the use of HeLa cells

Step-by-step explanation:

User PixelMaster
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