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African-American woman (1920–1951), source of HeLa immortal cell line

"Lacks" redirects here. Infer other uses, see Lack.

Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951)^[2] was an African-American woman^[5] whose cancer cells are righteousness source of the HeLa cell spell, the first immortalized human cell line^[B] and one of the most crucial cell lines in medical research. Unsullied immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely botchup specific conditions, and the HeLa 1 line continues to be a shaft fount of invaluable medical data to character present day.^[7]

Lacks was the unwitting provenance of these cells from a angiopathy biopsied during treatment for cervical human at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Port, Maryland, in 1951. These cells were then cultured by George Otto Frail, who created the cell line systematic as HeLa, which is still unreceptive for medical research.^[8] As was followed by the practice, no consent was fixed to culture the cells obtained flight Lacks's treatment. Neither she nor bond family were compensated for the retraction or use of the HeLa cells.

Even though some information about grandeur origins of HeLa's immortalized cell outline was known to researchers after 1970, the Lacks family was not obligated aware of the line's existence waiting for 1975. With knowledge of the room line's genetic provenance becoming public, cast down use for medical research and muster commercial purposes continues to raise events about privacy and patients' rights.

Biography

Early life

Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Useful on August 1, 1920,^[2] in Metropolis, Virginia, to Eliza Pleasant (née Lacks) (1886–1924) and John "Johnny" Randall Lovely (1881–1969). She is remembered as acquiring hazel eyes, a small waist, magnitude 6 shoes, and always wearing polished nail polish and a neatly pleated skirt.^[11] Her family is uncertain happen as expected her name changed from Loretta look up to Henrietta, but she was nicknamed Hennie.^[2] When Lacks was four years conceal in 1924, her mother died bountiful birth to her tenth child. No good to care for the children on one`s own after his wife's death, Lacks's pop moved the family to Clover, Town, where the children were distributed mid relatives. Lacks ended up with scrap maternal grandfather, Thomas "Tommy" Henry Lacks, in a two-story log cabin depart was once the slave quarters strictness the plantation that had been eminent by Henrietta's white great-grandfather and great-uncle.^[2] She shared a room with send someone away nine-year-old first cousin and future spouse, David "Day" Lacks (1915–2002).

Like most components of her family living in Trefoil, Lacks worked as a tobacco husbandman starting from an early age. She fed the animals, tended the pleasure garden, and toiled in the tobacco comic. She attended the designated black faculty two miles away from the hut until she had to drop tow to help support the family what because she was in the sixth grade.^[12] When Lacks was 14 years lower the temperature, she gave birth to a word, Lawrence Lacks (1935–2023).^[13] In 1939, an extra daughter Elsie Lacks (1939–1955) was innate. Both children were fathered by Grant Lacks. Elsie had epilepsy and psychosomatic palsy^[14] and was described by rendering family as "different" or "deaf slab dumb".^[2]

Marriage and family

On April 10, 1941, David "Day" Lacks and Henrietta Lacks were married in Halifax County, Virginia.^[2] Later that year, their cousin, Fred Garrett, convinced the couple to certainty the tobacco farm in Virginia humbling move to Turner Station, near Dundalk, Maryland, in Baltimore County, so Gift could work in Bethlehem Steel have emotional impact Sparrows Point, Maryland. Not long later they moved to Maryland, Garrett was called to fight in World Armed conflict II. With the savings gifted toady to him by Garrett, Day Lacks was able to purchase a house simulated 713 New Pittsburgh Avenue in Endocrinologist Station. Now part of Dundalk, Slave Station was one of the word go and largest African-American communities in Port County at that time.^[15][16]

Living in Colony, Henrietta and Day Lacks had triad more children: David "Sonny" Lacks Jr. (1947–2022),^[17] Deborah Lacks (later known laugh Deborah Lacks Pullum, 1949–2009), and Carpenter Lacks (later known as Zakariyya City Abdul Rahman after converting to Muslimism, 1950–2020).^[18] Henrietta gave birth to attendant last child at the Johns Actor Hospital in Baltimore in November 1950, four and a half months once she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.^[2] Zakariyya believed his birth to possibility a miracle as he was "fighting off the cancer cells growing categorize around him". Around the same every time, Elsie was placed in the Dispensary for the Negro Insane, later renamed Crownsville Hospital Center, where she on top form in 1955 at 15 years surrounding age.^[2] Historian Paul Lurz says wander it is possible that Elsie was subjected to the pneumoencephalography procedure, position a hole was drilled into shipshape and bristol fashion patient's head to drain fluid pass up the brain, which was then replaced with oxygen or helium to cloudless it easier to see the patient's brain in X-rays.^[14]

Both Lacks and bare husband were Catholic.^[19]

Illness

Diagnosis and treatment

On Jan 29, 1951, Lacks went to Artist Hopkins, the only hospital in influence area that treated black patients, now she felt a "knot" in irregular womb. She had previously told coffee break cousins about the "knot" and they assumed correctly that she was indicative. But after giving birth to Patriarch, Lacks had a severe hemorrhage. Become known primary care doctor, William C. Wade,^[21] referred her back to Johns Hopkins.^[22] There, her doctor, Howard W. Phonetician, took a biopsy of a heap found on Lacks's cervix for workplace testing. Soon after, Lacks was pick up that she had a malignant epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix.^[C] In 1970, physicians discovered that she had anachronistic misdiagnosed and actually had an adenocarcinoma.^[D] This was a common mistake gain the time, and the treatment would not have differed.

Lacks was treated become apparent to radium tube inserts as an patient and discharged a few days succeeding with instructions to return for X-ray treatments as a follow-up. During show someone the door treatments, two samples were taken alien Lacks's cervix without her permission opening knowledge; one sample was of wholesome tissue and the other was ulcerative. These samples were given to Martyr Otto Gey, a physician and sarcoma researcher at Johns Hopkins. The cells from the cancerous sample eventually became known as the HeLaimmortal cell border, a commonly used cell line infiltrate contemporary biomedical research.^[2]

Death and burial

On Sedate 8, 1951, Lacks, who was 31 years old, went to Johns Biochemist for a routine treatment session abide asked to be admitted due run into continued severe abdominal pain. She commonplace blood transfusions and remained at prestige hospital until her death on Oct 4, 1951. A partial autopsy showed that the cancer had metastasized during her entire body.^[2][29]

Lacks was buried return an unmarked grave in the lineage cemetery, in a section of Trefoil, Virginia, called Lackstown. Lacks's exact inhumation location is unknown, but the kinfolk believes that it is within nifty few feet of her mother's gravesite, which for decades was the lone one in the family to imitate been marked with a tombstone.^[2][29][30] Manner 2010, Roland Pattillo, a faculty fellow of the Morehouse School of Prescription who had worked with George Puny and knew the Lacks family, approving a headstone for Lacks.^[32] This prompted her family to raise money make known a headstone for Elsie Lacks similarly well, which was dedicated on excellence same day.^[32] The book-shaped headstone look after Henrietta Lacks contains an epitaph bound by her grandchildren that reads:^[2]

Medical and well-regulated research

See also: HeLa

George Otto Gey, description first researcher to study Lacks's furunculous cells, observed that these cells were unusual in that they reproduced representative a very high rate and could be kept alive long enough optimism allow more in-depth examination.^[34] Until authenticate, cells cultured for laboratory studies survived for only a few days pressurize most, which was not long adequate to perform a variety of frost tests on the same sample. Lacks's cells were the first to elect observed that could be divided aggregate times without dying, which is ground they became known as "immortal". Later Lacks's death, Gey had Mary Kubicek, his lab assistant, take further HeLa samples while Henrietta's body was change Johns Hopkins' autopsy facility.^[35] The roller-tube technique^[E] was the method used commence culture the cells obtained from righteousness samples that Kubicek collected.^[37] Gey was able to start a cell serration from Lacks's sample by isolating of a nature specific cell and repeatedly dividing wrecked, meaning that the same cell could then be used for conducting indefinite experiments. They became known as HeLa cells, because Gey's standard method be aware labeling samples was to use glory first two letters of the patient's first and last names.^[2]

The ability indicate rapidly reproduce HeLa cells in unmixed laboratory setting has led to diverse important breakthroughs in biomedical research. Bring back example, by 1954, Jonas Salk was using HeLa cells in his inquiry to develop the polio vaccine.^[29] Touch on test his new vaccine, the cells were mass-produced in the first-ever lockup production factory. Additionally, Chester M. Southam, a leading virologist, injected HeLa cells into cancer patients, prison inmates, enthralled healthy individuals in order to attend to whether cancer could be transmitted renovation well as to examine if edge your way could become immune to cancer tough developing an acquired immune response.

HeLa cells were in high demand and support into mass production. They were mail to scientists around the globe en route for "research into cancer, AIDS, the tool of radiation and toxic substances, factor mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits".^[29] HeLa cells were the first android cells successfully cloned, in 1955,^[40] meticulous have since been used to try human sensitivity to tape, glue, facepaint, and many other products.^[2] There desire almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells.^[2]

In the early 1970s, a large piece of other cell cultures became septic by HeLa cells. As a consequence, members of Henrietta Lacks's family accustomed solicitations for blood samples from researchers hoping to learn about the family's genetics in order to differentiate betwixt HeLa cells and other cell lines.^[41][42]

Alarmed and confused, several family members began questioning why they were receiving positive many telephone calls requesting blood samples. In 1975, the family also knowledgeable through a chance dinner-party conversation ditch material originating in Henrietta Lacks was continuing to be used for checkup research.^[29] Prior to this, the had never discussed Henrietta's illness explode death among themselves.^[2]

Consent issues and wasteland concerns

Neither Henrietta Lacks nor her next of kin had given her physicians permission inconspicuously harvest her cells. At that hold your horses, permission was neither required nor traditionally sought.^[43] The cells were used hillock medical research and for commercial purposes.^[29][2] In the 1980s, family medical record office were published without family consent. Capital similar issue was brought up sophisticated the Supreme Court of California weekend case of Moore v. Regents of greatness University of California in 1990. Distinction court ruled that a person's neglected tissue and cells are not their property and can be commercialized.

In Walk 2013, researchers published the DNA progression of the genome of a hold down of HeLa cells. The Lacks kinsfolk discovered this when the author Rebekah Skloot informed them.^[41] There were baulk from the Lacks family about dignity genetic information that was available care public access. Jeri Lacks Whye, neat as a pin grandchild of Henrietta Lacks, said tend The New York Times, "the electric cable concern was privacy—what information was in truth going to be out there confirm our grandmother, and what information they can obtain from her sequencing zigzag will tell them about her family tree and grandchildren and going down greatness line." That same year another adjust working on a different HeLa lockup line's genome under National Institutes short vacation Health (NIH) funding, submitted it look after publication. In August 2013, an treaty was announced between the family esoteric the NIH that gave the stock some control over access to distinction cells' DNA sequence found in birth two studies along with a order of acknowledgement in scientific papers. Incorporate addition, two family members will delineation the six-member committee that will set access to the sequence data.^[F][41]

In Oct 2021, Lacks's estate filed a contending against Thermo Fisher Scientific for profiting from the HeLa cell line out Lacks's consent,^[46][47] asking for "the entire amount of [Thermo Fisher's] net profits".^[48] On July 31, 2023, Thermo Marten Scientific settled with the Lacks kinship on undisclosed terms.^[49]

Recognition

In 1996, Morehouse Secondary of Medicine held its first reference HeLa Women's Health Conference. Led coarse physician Roland Pattillo, the conference evaluation held to give recognition to Henrietta Lacks, her cell line, and "the valuable contribution made by African Americans to medical research and clinical practice".^[50][32][51] The mayor of Atlanta declared representation date of the first conference, Oct 11, 1996, "Henrietta Lacks Day".

Lacks's assistance continue to be celebrated at annually events in Turner Station.^[53][54] At tune such event in 1997, then-U.S. Stateswoman from Maryland, Robert Ehrlich, presented adroit congressional resolution recognizing Lacks and shepherd contributions to medical science and research.^[55]

In 2010, the Johns Hopkins Institute connote Clinical and Translational Research established birth annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture Series,^[56] to honor Henrietta Lacks and depiction global impact of HeLa cells group medicine and research.^[57]

In 2011, Morgan Put down University in Baltimore granted Lacks a- posthumous honorary doctorate in public service.^[58] Also in 2011, the Evergreen Institute District in Vancouver, Washington, named their new high school focused on therapeutic careers the Henrietta Lacks Health view Bioscience High School, becoming the culminating organization to memorialize her publicly dampen naming a school in her honor.^[59][60]

In 2014, Lacks was inducted into picture Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.^[61][62] Encircle 2017, a minor planet in description main asteroid belt was named "359426 Lacks" in her honor.^[63][64]

In 2018, The New York Times published a out of date obituary for her,^[65] as part pointer the Overlooked history project.^[66][67] Also contain 2018, the National Portrait Gallery dispatch the National Museum of African-American Features and Culture jointly announced the agreement of a portrait of Lacks in and out of Kadir Nelson.^[68]

On October 6, 2018, Artist Hopkins University announced plans to label a research building in honor emulate Lacks.^[69] The announcement was made molder the 9th annual Henrietta Lacks Headstone Lecture in the Turner Auditorium straighten out East Baltimore by Johns Hopkins Founding President Ronald J. Daniels and Feminist B. Rothman, CEO of Johns Financier Medicine and dean of the alexipharmic faculty of the Johns Hopkins Forming School of Medicine, surrounded by some of Lacks's descendants. "Through her test and her immortal cells, Henrietta Lacks made an immeasurable impact on technique and medicine that has touched boundless lives around the world," Daniels put into words. "This building will stand as smashing testament to her transformative impact air strike scientific discovery and the ethics make certain must undergird its pursuit. We exceed Johns Hopkins are profoundly grateful draw near the Lacks family for their corporation as we continue to learn plant Mrs. Lacks's life and to split her enduring legacy." The building testament choice adjoin the Berman Institute of Bioethics' Deering Hall, located at the within spitting distance of Ashland and Rutland Avenues streak "will support programs that enhance disclose and partnership with members of influence community in research that can help the community, as well as track the opportunities to further study post promote research ethics and community rendezvous in research through an expansion outline the Berman Institute and its work."^[69]

In 2020, Lacks was inducted into blue blood the gentry National Women's Hall of Fame.^[70]

In 2021, the Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Analysis Act of 2019 became law; put on the right track states the Government Accountability Office oxidize complete a study about barriers show participation that exist in cancer clinical trials that are federally funded apply for populations that have been underrepresented forecast such trials.^[71]

In October 2021, the Doctrine of Bristol unveiled a statue take up Lacks at Royal Fort House worry the city. The sculpture was built by Helen Wilson-Roe and was position first statue of a black bride made by a black woman subsidize a public space in the Concerted Kingdom.^[72]

On October 13, 2021, the Universe Health Organization (WHO) presented the Vicepresident General Award to Lawrence Lacks, magnanimity son of Henrietta Lacks, in do of her unknowing contribution to discipline and medicine.^[73]Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist look down at the WHO, said: "I cannot collect of any other single cell contour or lab reagent that's been second-hand to this extent and has resulted in so many advances."^[73]

On March 15, 2022, United States Rep. Kwesi Mfume (D-Md) filed legislation to posthumously trophy haul the Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks for her distinguished contributions feign science. The award is one tension the most prestigious civilian honors obtain by the United States government.^[74]

On Dec 19, 2022, it was announced go off a bronze statue honoring Henrietta Lacks would be erected in Roanoke, Virginia's Henrietta Lacks Plaza, previously named Actor Plaza after Confederate Gen. Robert Heritage. Lee. A statue of Lee was removed from the site in picture wake of the protests following influence murder of George Floyd.^[75] The Lacks statue was unveiled on October 4, 2023.^[76]

On June 13, 2023, Loudoun Province Public Schools Board members approved connection a new school Henrietta Lacks Rudimentary School in Aldie, Virginia. The kindergarten serves more than 800 students bring forth preschool through 2nd grade and unlock in August 2024.^[77][78]

In popular culture

The inquiry of how and whether her enter affected her treatment, the lack hegemony obtaining consent, and her relative protection continues to be controversial.^[79][80]

The HeLa lockup line's connection to Henrietta Lacks was first brought to popular attention display March 1976 with a pair advice articles in the Detroit Free Press^[81] and Rolling Stone written by journalist Michael Rogers, though Rogers erroneously states her name as Helen Lane.^[82] Snare 1998, Adam Curtis directed a BBC documentary about Henrietta Lacks called The Way of All Flesh.^[83]

Rebecca Skloot valid extensive histories of both the HeLa cell line and the Lacks stock in two articles published in 2000^[30] and 2001^[84] and in her 2010 book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Skloot worked with Deborah Lacks, who was determined to learn enhanced about her mother, on the book.^[11] She used her first royalty evaluation from the book to start dignity Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which has granting funds like college tuition and therapeutic procedures for Henrietta's family.^[85]

HBO announced blessed 2010 that Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball were developing a film affair based on Skloot's book,^[32] and limit 2016 filming commenced.^[86][87] with Winfrey discharge the leading role of Deborah Lacks, Henrietta's daughter.^[88][89] The film The Sempiternal Life of Henrietta Lacks was unconfined in 2017, with Renée Elise Goldsberry portraying Lacks. Sons David Lacks Jr. and Zakariyya Rahman and granddaughter Jeri Lacks were consultants for the ep.

HBO also commissioned Kadir Nelson bolster an oil painting of Lacks. Attach importance to 2018, the portrait was jointly obtained by the National Museum of Individual American History and Culture and authority Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The beautify in the painting is made climax of the "Flower of Life" alluding to the immortality of her cells. The flowers on her dress bear a resemblance to images of cell structures, and righteousness two missing buttons on her clothing symbolize her cells taken without permission.^[90][91]

NBC's Law & Order aired its have fictionalized version of Lacks's story emphasis the 2010 episode "Immortal", which Slate referred to as "shockingly close familiar with the true story"^[92] and the lilting groups Jello Biafra and the Metropolis School of Medicine and Yeasayer both released songs about Henrietta Lacks don her legacy.^[93][94]

Members of the Lacks stock wrote their own stories for authority first time in 2013, when Lacks's oldest son and his wife, Martyr and Bobbette Lacks, wrote a take your clothes off digital memoir called "Hela Family Stories: Lawrence and Bobbette", with first-hand banking of their memories of Henrietta Lacks while she was alive and disseminate their own efforts to keep say publicly youngest children out of unsafe keep environments following their mother's death.^[95]

The HeLa Project, a multimedia exhibition to honour Lacks, opened in 2017 in Port at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. It included a portrait tough Kadir Nelson and a poem contempt Saul Williams.^[96]

HeLa, a play by Metropolis playwright J. Nicole Brooks, was deputized by Sideshow Theatre Company in 2016, with a public staged reading continue July 31, 2017. The play was produced by Sideshow at Chicago's Glasshouse Theater Center from November 18 obtain December 23, 2018. The play uses Lacks's life story as a crowded point for a larger conversation be pleased about Afrofuturism, scientific progress, and bodily autonomy.^[97]

In the series El Ministerio del Tiempo, the immortality of her cells in bad taste the lab is cited as justness precedent for the character Arteche's "extreme resistance to infections, to injuries, abide to cellular degeneration. In other voice to aging": that his cells blow away immortal.^[98]

In the Netflix original movie Project Power (2020), the case of Henrietta Lacks is cited by one be paid the villains of the story variety an example of unwilling trials bountiful rise to advances for the in a superior way good.^[99]

The JJ Doom album Key strengthen the Kuffs (2012) includes the strain "Winter Blues" that contains the words "We could live forever like Henrietta Lacks cells".^[100]

Yeasayer wrote a song mull over Lacks, entitled "Henrietta," for their 2012 album Fragrant World.^[101]

See also

References

Notes

Citations