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[–]laccase16 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
There was another thread in men's rights discussing this.
Here is some context: 10 years ago, one infant foreskin was donated for research. Cell lines from that tissue is currently used in various skin-related projects, such as treating burn victims. Someone found out that that particular cells can produce compounds apparently useful in facial cream and commercialized a cream using those compounds. Oprah has endorsed that brand of cream.
Now then, I am for the prohibition of infant circumcision of any kind. Legally, the original tissue donation is valid, since the parents gave consent. Ethically, the tissue should not have been removed or donated, since the infant doesn't exactly have autonomy.
However, is society absolutely willing to give up benefits derived from research that originally traced cell lines from unethically obtained sources?
A very similar example is the HeLa cell line, obtained in the 1920s, from a woman with cervical cancer. At least two biopsies were taken and used for research, without her permission, or even her knowledge. It would take a very, very long time to talk about the advances in all sorts of medical research based off of that cell line. Are we willing to retroactively throw away the benefits from this research as well?
[–]the_icebear7 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
Firstly, thanks for the context. I for one didn't know the full story, but knew that they could not be actively making a skin cream out of foreskins.
As for the ethical issue, it is a very, very difficult question to answer. Some of our current understanding of human physiology came from the experiments performed by the Nazis. Is it morally just to use the fruits of an immorally planted tree?
[–][deleted]5 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
Compensate the men who have had their foreskins taken without consent and used for profit.
From what I understand this is a VERY lucrative business.
[–]laccase1 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
I think people have now set up a donation for members of Henrietta Lack's family. She was so poor, she was buried in an unmarked plot -- Hopkins donated a headstone.
That's an interesting problem though, because to the best of my knowledge, gov't regulations require tissue samples to be stripped of identifying information.
[–][deleted]1 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
It could be a class action lawsuit that includes all men in the US who have been circumcised without their consent against all hospitals who perform circumcisions on male babies and also against all companies which profit from the use of foreskins.
[–]Equa13 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
False. There is only so much fibroblast's that one foreskin can produce. There's also 100's of companies who are purchasing the foreskins to produce said fibroblasts.
Not SkinMedica, and they don't have to. That's the joy about having a good cell line:
Advanced BioHealing and SkinMedica’s cells lines are both derived from a single foreskin.
Someone else did the investigative journalism but the cell lines in my lab (not from foreskin) are doing well.
"Collecting tissue from a different site would be an abnormal surgical procedure and there would be a lot of ethical issues with that."
[–]mikesteane1 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
Foreskins are for sale within the medicine industry and the price is of the order of $150 each.
[–]asdfdfa1 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
The number they produce though is so incredibly high there isn't going to be a demand to increase the supply of foreskins.
[–]Coinin-1 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
If it was tissue from just one donated foreskin it would be much less of an issue. The fact is that this industry is dependant on ongoing genital mutilation.
[–]AryoBarzan4 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
People like this need more praise.
[–]Pecanpig3 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
Circumcise Oprah Protest
Considering what sub this it, people could take this the wrong way.
[–]What_Is_X2 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
I was a little confused at first.
[–]Equa11 point 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
But hopeful, no? /s
[–][deleted]-2 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
They spread the remains of innocent little boys on their faces in ritualized sacrifice.
[–]laccase8 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
Please see my comment. There are no actual foreskins in the skin cream.
[–]asdfdfa2 points 13 years ago [recovered] | Copy Link
I tried convincing people of this in the last Oprah thread. Good luck!
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[–]laccase16 points [recovered] | Copy Link
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