Storm erupts over publishing of HeLa genome

The following is an excerpt.

One of the world’s most prestigious laboratories is frantically trying to resolve a row over its decision to publish the genome of one of the world’s most studied human cell lines – a set of cervical cancer cells.

The cells were taken in 1951 from a woman called Henrietta Lacks, without her consent. Her descendants argue that the published genome may reveal genetic traits of family members…

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After publishing the HeLa genome in the online journal G3: Genes, Genomes and Genetics, researchers led by Lars Steinmetz at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, withdrew the data following a barrage of objections.

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