Henrietta Lacks, an African American mother of five, faced a tragic battle with cervical cancer in 1951. Unbeknownst to her, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took a sample of her cells without her consent or knowledge. Little did anyone know, this seemingly invasive act would lead to an extraordinary breakthrough: Henrietta’s cells became the first human cells to reproduce in a laboratory, paving the way for monumental advancements in medical research.
These cells, known as HeLa cells, played a pivotal role in the development of vaccines for polio and the coronavirus, as well as treatments for various diseases including cancer, Parkinson’s, and the flu. Their impact extended even beyond Earth as they contributed to research conducted in space. Ms. Lacks’s unparalleled medical legacy remained a secret to her family for over two decades.
On what would have been Henrietta Lacks’s 103rd birthday, her descendants gathered at a news conference to announce a settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a biotechnology company they had sued for profiting from the HeLa cell line. Emotions ran high as Alfred Lacks Carter Jr., Henrietta’s grandson, expressed relief and a sense of justice finally being served. He described the long and arduous fight the family had endured over the past 70 years.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2021, accused Thermo Fisher Scientific of selling the cells and attempting to claim intellectual property rights without compensating the family or seeking their permission. While the terms of the settlement remain confidential, both parties expressed satisfaction in reaching a resolution outside of court.
During the news conference, Chris Ayers, one of the family’s lawyers, emphasized that the fight against those who profited from the unethical origins of the HeLa cells would continue. This case may set a precedent for future lawsuits surrounding similar issues.
Henrietta Lacks passed away at the age of 31 in October 1951. Months prior to her death, she learned about her cervical cancer diagnosis after being admitted to a racially segregated ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Without her consent, doctors extracted cells from her tumor, which astonishingly continued to multiply outside her body. Most cells wither within a few days, but Ms. Lacks’s cells provided researchers with a unique opportunity to study the polio virus and its effects.
Research conducted using the HeLa cells resulted in significant breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and the flu. They have been utilized by researchers worldwide and cited in over 110,000 scientific publications, according to the National Institutes of Health. Unfortunately, Ms. Lacks’s family remained unaware of the impact of her cells until 1973, when they discovered the global reach of the HeLa cell line.
Proud of Ms. Lacks’s contribution to science, her descendants also expressed their anger and frustration towards the medical establishment’s mistreatment of their matriarch. The commercialization of her cells only exacerbated their grievances. The family’s lawsuit against Thermo Fisher Scientific accused the company of profiting while neglecting to compensate them or acknowledge the harms caused.
Thermo Fisher Scientific attempted to dismiss the case, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations. However, the family’s lawyers argued that the company’s ongoing financial benefits from the cells invalidated this claim. Moving forward, the settlement may serve as a significant precedent for cases involving the exploitation of historically marginalized individuals in the medical and research industries.
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