Henrietta Lacks one of the most famous women in history, and yet, she never knew it.
She was a woman who led an unassuming life as a wife and mother for most of her years on Earth.
But, her cancer diagnosis changed that. The cells from her cervix were taken without knowledge or consent by Dr. George Gey, which led to medical breakthroughs that saved countless lives.
Mrs. Lacks was a woman who had no idea that her cells were being used to save lives.
These cells, called HeLa cells, have been the most helpful tool in cancer research and led to many current medical breakthroughs.
However, Henrietta’s family didn’t know about their existence until decades later, when they found out through news reports.
Thereafter, they wanted control over these cells and sued the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks/Read More
In 2010, Rebecca Skloot published The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a compelling look at Henrietta Lacks’ story, her impact on medical science, and critical bioethical issues.
That book became the basis for the HBO/Harpo film by the same name, released in April 2017.
Henrietta Lacks was a woman who unknowingly donated her cells here at Hopkins in 1951, beginning the first, and, for many years, the only human cell line able to reproduce indefinitely.
Her cells, known as HeLa cells of Henrietta Lacks, remain a remarkably durable and prolific line of cells used in research worldwide.
This guide addresses several critical health care, analysis, and ethical themes discussed in the book and the movie.
Johns Hopkins applauds and regularly participates in efforts to raise awareness of the life and story of Henrietta Lacks.
We were proud to support the book research and development of the film by providing full
The Importance of HeLa Cells
Among the important scientific discoveries of the last century was the first immortal human cell line known as “HeLa”
— a remarkably durable and prolific line of cells obtained during the treatment of Henrietta’s cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951.
Although these were the first cells that could be easily shared and multiplied in a lab setting,
Johns Hopkins has never sold or profited from the discovery or distribution of HeLa cells and does not own the rights to the HeLa cell line.
Instead, Johns Hopkins offered HeLa cells freely and widely for scientific research.
Over the past several decades, this cell line has contributed to many medical breakthroughs, from research on the effects of zero gravity in outer space and the development of the polio vaccine to the study of leukemia, the AIDS virus, and cancer worldwide.
Although many other cell lines are in use today, HeLa cells have supported advances in most fields of medical research in the years since HeLa cells were isolated.
In conclusion, Henrietta Lacks was a woman who had cells taken without her permission, and those cells have been used in research for decades.
She’s an example of someone whose story should be shared with the world to remind us that we all deserve our privacy and dignity – even after death.
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