Her name is barely known by anyone yet her impact on the world has been incalculable. Henrietta Lacks was a 31 year old African American mother of 5 who died of cervical cancer on October 4th, 1951 at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During her 8 month long treatment human cells were removed from her body for purposes of research. The doctors at the hospital soon discovered that her cells not only were growing in their test tubes but were thriving and multiplying. This is a rare occurrence. Most cells that are collected do not continue to grow and replicate indefinitely. Her cells have been used in countless medical scientific research over the decades since her passing. They have been used to develop Dr. Jonas Salk's Polio vaccine, they have been used to test and develop various chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients, and also used to develop in-vitro fertilization techniques among countless other uses. Her cells are still alive and replicating today and continue to be of valuable use and service to the medical research community in order to develop new treatments and medications for the ill. The cell line that she donated is known as the HeLa cell line. Hela represents the first two letters of her first and last names. Her children and other descendants were totally left in the dark about her donation to medical science until about 1973 when a member of her family had a chance encounter with someone who happened to work in a medical lab and mentioned her name in discussion with relation to his work. Despite the countless good that has come from Henrietta Lacks and her contribution (and the countless billions that the pharmaceutical industry and medical community have gained by her) her family has not seen any benefit either economically or in terms of recognition of their mother and grandmother. Ironically some of her children live without health care today because they cannot afford it and some of her children are now in debt because of their medical bills.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Neverending Impact Of Henrietta Lacks
Her name is barely known by anyone yet her impact on the world has been incalculable. Henrietta Lacks was a 31 year old African American mother of 5 who died of cervical cancer on October 4th, 1951 at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During her 8 month long treatment human cells were removed from her body for purposes of research. The doctors at the hospital soon discovered that her cells not only were growing in their test tubes but were thriving and multiplying. This is a rare occurrence. Most cells that are collected do not continue to grow and replicate indefinitely. Her cells have been used in countless medical scientific research over the decades since her passing. They have been used to develop Dr. Jonas Salk's Polio vaccine, they have been used to test and develop various chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients, and also used to develop in-vitro fertilization techniques among countless other uses. Her cells are still alive and replicating today and continue to be of valuable use and service to the medical research community in order to develop new treatments and medications for the ill. The cell line that she donated is known as the HeLa cell line. Hela represents the first two letters of her first and last names. Her children and other descendants were totally left in the dark about her donation to medical science until about 1973 when a member of her family had a chance encounter with someone who happened to work in a medical lab and mentioned her name in discussion with relation to his work. Despite the countless good that has come from Henrietta Lacks and her contribution (and the countless billions that the pharmaceutical industry and medical community have gained by her) her family has not seen any benefit either economically or in terms of recognition of their mother and grandmother. Ironically some of her children live without health care today because they cannot afford it and some of her children are now in debt because of their medical bills.
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