Immortal Cells | 3.20.20

Henrietta Lacks; a name you might not be familiar with, but a name that has definitely helped you. The use and application of the cells has shaped modern medicine by contributing to the understanding of influenza, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, and in vitro fertilization. These cells have literally been all over the world in and traveled to more than 100 countries, which is more than most people do in their lifetimes. But what makes these cells so special?

Quick Summary:

The original HeLa cells were taken from Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who was born in 1920 and grew up in Virginia. In 1951, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, but by then, it was too far in advance for the cancer treatments at the time to be effective. While in the hospital, a doctor took a sample of the mass of cancer cells from Lacks and had them analyzed. They later found out that these cells never stop dividing in a cell culture, which provides an unlimited number of cells to do experiments on. This was an extremely important breakthrough, but instead of Lacks receiving some of the money from the selling of her cells, she never found out that doctors had been making a profit while her family was living in poverty. Fast forward decades later to 1988, the author of the book, Rebecca Skloot, hears about HeLa cells in her college biology class and becomes interested as to the story behind them. Skloot is determined to learn more, and speaks to the family members of Lacks and eventually publishes Lacks’ full story in 2010.

My Reflection:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks touches on many fields besides science, such as social-justice issues, racism, gender inequality, poverty, and basic human rights and dignity. All people can see themselves in Lacks some way, maybe in how she was discriminated against in the hospital by saying she did not need painkillers, how she was taken advantage of by the doctors took her cells without her consent and made a profit off of them, or how she was struggled to support her family while battling cancer. This book is so encompassing of her story that all people can find some interest in this book, and not just science nerds like me. 

I really enjoyed reading this book because it opened my eyes as to how medicine was like during the Jim Crow era, and how modern medicine would not be as advanced without the suffering of so many people who were taken advantage of. This book has caused me to see a strong connection between two fields that I am involved in, social justice through Mock Trial, and science through my passion for Biology. I feel that this is a book everyone should read because you learn more about the history behind normal things you may take advantage for, such as a vaccine. I am thankful that there are laws in place that make sure doctors receive full consent from patients before medical testing, and I hope that in the future, we learn from the suffering of Henrietta Lacks in order to advocate for those who may not have a voice.

Here is Rebecca Skloot’s website, where you can find out more about her experience in writing the novel: http://rebeccaskloot.com/

Here is a TedTalk video that explains more about Lacks’ cells and how useful they were:

Lastly, attached below is an article that talks about modern day uses and struggles in HeLa cells, as the DNA inside of them is changing overtime, thus being different from the original sample: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/hela-cells-from-different-labs-vary-in-genetics–phenotype-65529

Works Cited

“HeLa Cells from Different Labs Vary in Genetics, Phenotype.” The Scientist Magazine®, http://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/hela-cells-from-different-labs-vary-in-genetics–phenotype-65529.

“The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks – Robin Bulleri”. Ted-Ed, Youtube. 8 February 2016.

“Rebecca Skloot Journalist, Teacher, Author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Rebecca Skloot, rebeccaskloot.com/.