GLP Podcast: Chemical risks doubled in five years? Vaccines from plants; Henrietta Lacks’ stolen cells

A recent meta-analysis has alleged that the health risks linked to chemical exposure have doubled in the last five years. Does the evidence actually support that claim? Vaccines of the future may be grown in plants, cutting production costs and giving millions more people access to life-saving drugs. In 1951, Henrietta Lacks visited the hospital to get treatment for cervical cancer. Some of her cancerous cells were taken without permission and used to develop a variety of important medical innovations. Was this a gross ethical violation, or a justifiable act to advance the world’s scientific understanding?

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Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 148 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• Viewpoint: ‘Health impact of chemicals doubled in last 5 years’? Media misreporting flawed studies mislead the public

The media frequently reports about the dangers linked to chemical exposure, and a recent review generated a whirlwind of news coverage by alleging that the health impact of chemicals has doubled in less than a decade. But the data in no way justify such an assertion, epidemiologist Geoffrey Kabat argued in a critique of the meta-analysis. “The media coverage of the paper, and indeed the paper itself, are part of a decades-long trend among some scientists and activists to amplify the risk of exposure to chemicals in consumer products far beyond what can be justified by the evidence.”

What’s fueling this trend to exaggerate the dangers posed by chemical exposure?

• Molecular farming? Edible plant-based vaccines are cheaper, easier, and quicker to produce than traditional shots

Vaccine production is an arduous, expensive process. And while the shots it produces prevent the spread of many diseases and save lives, they are often difficult to manufacturer and transport to developing countries, where they are severely underutilized. A solution may be on the horizon as scientists begin growing the ingredients for vaccines in plants. This “molecular farming” approach, advocates say, is safe and far more efficient than the decades-old process still used to produce many shots, including the seasonal flu vaccine.

• Henrietta Lacks’ immortal genes are now the subject of a legal battle

Henrietta Lacks visited Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 to undergo radiation therapy for cervical cancer. While under anesthesia, some of her cells were harvested and later used to advance all sorts of medical research. According to Johns Hopkins,

Today, these incredible cells— nicknamed “HeLa” cells, from the first two letters of her first and last names — are used to study the effects of toxins, drugs, hormones and viruses on the growth of cancer cells without experimenting on humans. They have been used to test the effects of radiation and poisons, to study the human genome, to learn more about how viruses work, and played a crucial role in the development of the polio and COVID-19 vaccines.

The situation raises thorny ethical questions. As attorney and bioethicist Dr. Barbara Pfeffer Billauer has asked, do family members have the right to override the wishes of individuals who choose to share their genetic data? And if scientists obtain genetic information from a consenting participant, are they obligated to disclose that genetic information to family members whom it might impact?

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on Twitter @kevinfolta

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg