Cleveland, OH, United States of America, 08/03/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/
Radical PI Sport Co–a Cleveland, OH sport and apparel company–has received a “cease and desist” order from the government concerning the company’s HeLa cell depiction. The design in question features a reference to “HeLa cells” that are one of the oldest and most commonly used human cell lines. While Radical PI Sport Co states that it is not in favor of violating or ignoring the order, they claim that they will continue to sell the logo until their inventories are depleted.
A call to the government’s office went unanswered; but according to the cease and desist order, the powers-that-be would prefer that references to the cell line be minimized in order to protect the “greater good.” When contacted for a statement, Radical PI Sport Co’s brand manager–Ms. Brit–was more than willing to address the subject. “When we issued the design we felt that it had powerful social ramifications; HeLa cells have a unique, thought-provoking history. Discovered in the 1950s, HeLa cells were used and distributed without the originator’s–Henrietta Lacks–consent of knowledge. That fact, in and of itself, is compelling and disturbing.”
Ms. Brit continued: “Not only did these cells get distributed around the globe because or their ‘immortal’ properties, they were derived from a cancerous cervical tumor. These cells were used to cultivate a variety of vaccines and forces one to wonder why the hell would we be injecting cancerous cells into unknowing, healthy individuals. It really made us stop and wonder.” HeLa cells were used in the development of the polio vaccine during the 1950s and were coveted for their durability and ability to reproduce. Leigh Van Valen–an American evolutionary biologist–wanted to declare HeLa cells a new species for the fact that they contained a non-human amount of chromosomes; his efforts proved unsuccessful.
Radical PI Sport Co intends to adhere to the cease and desist order but has lobbied to be allowed to sell the remaining products on their shelves. R.P.S.C. is a Cleveland, OH-based sport and apparel company that strives to be better. To learn more visit them at:
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