Representing life as opposed to being: the bio-objectification process of the HeLa cells and its relation to personalized medicine.

摘要: The immortal HeLa cells case is an intriguing example of bio-objectification processes with great scientific, social, and symbolic impacts. These generate questions about representation, significance, value the exceptional, variety, individuality, property. Of frightening (a lethal cancer) emarginated black, poor woman) origins, their ability to “contaminate” cultures “spread” into spaces for becoming extraordinary human knowledge, well-being, economy advancements, have represented humanity, emphasized importance individual as a core concept personalized medicine. Starting from process leading “cells” “bio-objects,” we focus on high quality bio-specimen. We discuss tension between phenomenological characteristic fundamental biological research variety material methodologies in epidemiology emerging societal changes reflect present EU policies lead toward new paradigm science.