so *that* is what happens to that bit of skin?

[asimplechord]

I'm reading a JCB paper that describes culturing cells in low-calcium medium to prevent adherens junction formation, and seriously. SERIOUSLY. This is in the methods section:

Normal human keratinocytes from newborn foreskin (strains z, kb, kc, and kd, passage 3-6) were cultured[...]

I know that all the cell lines and samples we use came from patients originally, but they are from patients who consented to having their cervical cancer or breast cancer biopsies used for research purposes.

NEWBORNS' FORESKINS? REALLY?

Comments

[why-me-why-not.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what most of that means. But is circumcision medically necessary?

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

IT MEANS PEOPLE DO *SERIOUS MEDICAL RESEARCH* WITH NEWBORN FORESKIN CELLS. ICK.

Not really. It's more a societal/religious thing than medical requirement. And it varies - mostly it's commonly done at hospitals in the US, but not so much in other countries, as I understand it.

[why-me-why-not.livejournal.com]

That's kinda disturbing.

Also, I was just asking. All the information I found when I was pregnant pointed to it not being medically necessary but whenever it comes up that the boys aren't circumsized, people freak out.

[chiralove.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. That was my first lab experience ever, lol. Working with the cells obviously, not obtaining them, lol!

It's kind of gross and all, but there are consent forms and the usual sort of stuff ... it's a reasonable way to get cells imho. I mean, if people are going to circumcise their boys anyhow ... why not use the cells?

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

I know the parents consent, but it still sort of freaks me out. What if, when they're old enough to understand, they *don't* consent. It's not like the cells would stop getting used.

[chiralove.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* The way things work in our society is that parents give consent for medical procedures on children under a certain age.... Not too be super-apathetic or anything, but not much's going to change that at this point, *shrug*.