Storm erupts over publishing of HeLa genome

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.

The HeLa cells, as they are dubbed, are exceptionally easy to grow in the lab and have become the cellular equivalent of lab rats. For decades, scientists have worked with these cells to unravel the secrets of cancer and develop new vaccines and treatments.

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.

"It shouldn't have been published without our consent That is private family information," said Lacks' granddaughter Jeri Lacks-Whye, quoted in The New York Times in a commentary on the dispute by Rebecca Skloot, whose biography of Lacks, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, appeared in 2011.

EMBL has apologised to the family and is in talks with them to try to resolve the situation.

"As soon as we learned of this we removed our data from the internet out of respect for the family," says EMBL spokeswoman Raeka Aiyar. "We take their concerns very seriously and have reached out to them with our apologies, and to express our determination to work with them towards an appropriate course of action for handling the availability of this data. We are currently awaiting their response."

EMBL also gave the G3 journal a statement on why the researchers withdrew the data.

The paper revealed that the genome of HeLa cells is chaotic. That is as might be expected in cancer cells, which undergo abnormal genetic reorganisation.

Steinmetz found numerous regions where chromosomes are arranged in the wrong order, for example, as well as missing genes and surplus copies of others.

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Storm erupts over publishing of HeLa genome