Henrietta Lacks: The Woman Whose Cells Changed Medicine Forever

Imagine going to the doctor for a routine procedure, only to have parts of your body taken without your consent and used in medical research for decades.

This is exactly what happened to Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells—known as HeLa cells—became one of the most important medical discoveries in history.

Her cells helped develop polio vaccines, cancer treatments, and even COVID-19 research—but for years, her family had no idea. Her story is one of medical racism, exploitation, and the fight for justice.

Who Was Henrietta Lacks?

Henrietta Lacks was born in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a wife, a mother of five, and a hardworking woman who, like many Black Americans in the early 20th century, struggled to access quality healthcare due to segregation and racial discrimination.

In 1951, at just 31 years old, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and went to Johns Hopkins Hospital—the only major hospital in Baltimore that treated Black patients at the time.

How Her Cells Were Taken Without Her Knowledge

During her treatment, doctors took a sample of her cancer cells without her consent. At the time, it was common for doctors to experiment on Black patients without their knowledge—a practice rooted in medical racism.

Unlike other cells that died quickly outside the body, Henrietta’s cells were different.

🔬 They were “immortal” – They kept growing and multiplying, something no other human cells had done before.

🔬 Scientists realized they could use them for research – HeLa cells became the first cells to be cloned and mass-produced.

🔬 Her cells were sent worldwide – They were used in labs all over the world, helping medical advancements in ways no one could have predicted.

Henrietta Lacks died in October 1951, never knowing that her cells would revolutionize medicine.

How HeLa Cells Changed the World

Henrietta’s cells—named HeLa (after the first two letters of her first and last name)—became the foundation of modern medical breakthroughs, including:

💉 The polio vaccine – Jonas Salk used HeLa cells to help develop the first polio vaccine.

🧪 Cancer and HIV/AIDS research – Scientists used her cells to study cancer treatments and how viruses affect human cells.

🚀 Space research – HeLa cells were sent into space to see how human cells react to zero gravity.

🦠 COVID-19 vaccines – HeLa cells played a role in understanding and fighting new viruses.

Her cells have been used in over 75,000 medical studies—yet her family never received compensation or recognition for decades.

The Fight for Justice

For years, Henrietta’s family had no idea her cells were being used in scientific research. They found out more than 20 years after her death, when researchers started contacting family members for genetic testing.

Despite the fact that pharmaceutical companies made billions using HeLa cells, Henrietta’s family:

❌ Received no financial compensation

❌ Had no control over how her cells were being used

❌ Had to fight for recognition of her contributions

In 2013, scientists agreed to give the Lacks family limited control over HeLa cell research, but many believe this is still not enough.

Why Henrietta Lacks’ Story Still Matters

Her story exposes the long history of medical racism—where Black patients were experimented on without their consent. It also raises ethical questions about medical research, consent, and who profits from scientific discoveries.

🏥 Black communities still experience medical discrimination today.

💰 Pharmaceutical companies profit off research, but families often see nothing in return.

⚖️ The fight for patient rights and consent continues.

Henrietta Lacks’ cells changed the world, but her story reminds us that science must be ethical and just for everyone—not just for those in power.

Honoring Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta’s legacy is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

🏛️ In 2021, a statue of her was commissioned to replace a monument of Robert E. Lee in Virginia.

📖 Books like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (by Rebecca Skloot) have brought her story to a wider audience.

⚖️ In 2023, her family reached a settlement with a biotech company that profited from her cells without consent.

Her contributions to medicine are immeasurable—and the fight for justice in medical research is far from over.

💬 Let’s Talk:

Did you know about Henrietta Lacks before today? What do you think should be done to protect patient rights in medical research? Let’s discuss in the comments!