Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa Cell Line
The story of Henrietta Lacks and her family is unfortunately one of many accounts where science and medicine have disenfranchised people in ethnic minorities. Their experience serves as a reminder of the importance of ethics in science. It is important to remember people who were key to progress, as well as the injustices they faced, to ensure such maltreatment is not repeated.
In 1951, 31-year-old Henrietta Lacks, a mother of 5 from Virginia, was diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer (specifically an adenocarcinoma). She was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, one of the only hospitals nearby that treated Black people.
As was standard practice of the time, Mrs Lacks was treated with radium (brachytherapy) and discharged from the hospital, with instructions to return for later X-ray treatments. During treatments, her cancerous cells were taken and given to cancer researchers at Johns Hopkins, without her knowledge or consent.
In the hospital labs, it became apparent these cells were unusual. Where other human cell cultures did not survive long in laboratories, Henrietta’s cells were ‘immortal’, dividing fast and capable of living in vitro. These cells were named HeLa, after Henrietta Lacks, and have contributed to numerous discoveries in biomedical research thanks to their longer lifespan and their ability to be rapidly produced in a laboratory environment.
Image: Flickr
When Henrietta, unfortunately, passed away from her illness, more samples were collected from her body, and sent to researchers around the world, unbeknownst to her grieving family.
To date, cells from the HeLa line have contributed to the development of the polio vaccine, HPV vaccinations, IVF, a better understanding of cancer, and even COVID-19. Hence, Henrietta’s cells are estimated to have saved millions of lives worldwide. However, the use and sale of these cells have given mass profit to pharmaceutical companies, not a penny reaching her family who cruelly could not afford healthcare themselves. Her family only first became aware of the existence of HeLa cells 20 years after her passing, when, by chance, Henrietta’s daughter-in-law met someone from the National Cancer Institute who recognised her surname.
The family has since learned about the valuable progress made using Henrietta’s cells, and has fought for Henrietta’s contribution to be acknowledged, through the ‘HELA100: The Henrietta Lacks Initiative’. Over the years, more recognition has been given to Henrietta and the circumstances around HeLa cells are becoming better known. Nonetheless, there have been many occasions where the Lacks family has been let down by science, or information about Henrietta has been published without consent and without consulting her family first.
The family is still yet to receive any financial compensation from companies profiting off HeLa cells. Their story is a central argument in the field of tissue rights. More can be learned about this story in ‘The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot.
