Last semester I decided to use my passion blog to spotlight people who have made major differences in the development of our society. I specifically chose to discuss figures who are often overlooked or underappreciated. I really enjoyed this topic, and I feel as though there is so much more I can do with it, so I decided to continue with it this semester.
Without further ado, I’d like to start off this semester by discussing Henrietta Lacks. Lacks is someone that is rarely ever brought up when
discussions of cellular research arise–but she played a very important role. Her story begins in 1951, when she, then a young mother of 5, visited the Johns Hopkins Hospital, which at the time was one of the few hospitals willing to treat African-American patients. Lacks complained of vaginal bleeding; and she was later examined by a gynecologist, named Dr. Howard Jones. While examining her, Jones discovered a large malignant [extremely virulent/infectious] tumor on her cervix
Almost immediately she began radium treatments with the hope of curing [or at least stopping the spread of] her cervical cancer. At the time radium treatments were the most effective type of treatment for this disease. In addition, she went through many other procedures–including a multitude of biopsies. On one occasion a sample of her cancer cells, taken during a biopsy, was sent to a nearby tissue lab managed by Dr. George Gey for examination. Gey was, at the time, a relatively well-known cell biologist, and he had been collecting cells from all of his patients dealing with cervical cancer, regardless of race, gender, or wealth, for years. Most of these cell samples would die quickly in his lab–however, Henrietta Lacks’ cells were unique. Not only did they not die, but they would double every day.
These cells would later be nicknamed “HeLa” cells, He being the first two letters of Henrietta and La being the first two letters of Lacks. Today these same cells are still 
being utilized to study the effects that toxins, drugs, hormones, and viruses have on the growth of cancer cells. These HeLa cells are specifically important because they allow for these studies to occur without experimenting on cancer patients.
Even to this day, HeLa cells play a big role in medical development. They have been used to study the effects that exposure to radiation and poison have on cells. More recently, however, they have also been used to study viruses, and even played an important role in the development of both the polio and COVID-19 vaccines.
Unfortunately Lacks passed away on October 4th of 1951, at the young age of 31. She would have no idea the impact that her cells would have on medical development [and cellular research]. In fact, it wasn’t even until around 20 years after her death that anyone, including her family, would learn that these cells belonged to her. Lacks was one of the many African-American people who unknowingly contributed to nonconsensual medical experiments at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and many other medical institutions during the 20th century.
In recent years Johns Hopkins has made more of an effort to remember and applaud the contributions that Henrietta Lacks and her “HeLa” cells made in the medical community. They also have acknowledged responsibility for failing to receive consent from Lacks to even begin these studies, claiming that the practice, though legal in the 1950s, shouldn’t have happened and wouldn’t happen today without consent from the patient.
Overall, Henrietta Lacks is a very important figure when it comes to cellular studies and medical development–despite not knowing it herself. She deserves recognition not only because her cells have helped medical development, but because these studies were done without her consent. It’s important to recognize that in the 20th century, and even still today, racism and consent remain relevant issues in the medical field. So while we can applaud the accomplishments of the “HeLa” cells we must remember the appalling and unjustifiable manner in which they were taken from her.
Wow, I think this topic is a really great one for your passion blog! This post in particular was interesting for me to read because I am a premed major and interested in a lot of cell and biochem-related topics. I am shocked at how the patient’s cells were used for medical research without her consent, but as you said, today there are a lot more ethical regulations in place preventing this from happening. I enjoyed reading about this unsung hero of cancer research, and I look forward to reading more about people who have made an impact on societal development!
Hi! I want to start of by saying I really enjoyed your blogs last semester, so I am happy you have decided to continue with this topic! I also loved this post about Henrietta Lacks. I remember hearing about her in previous history classes, but I never got the full story. I really like how you discussed that while the research that was done using her cells was important, consent in the medical field is even more important. I definitely agree that racism is another relevant issue in the medical field and I think you did a great job describing Henrietta Lacks’ life and contributions! Overall, great work and I can’t wait for the next post!