Johns hopkins hospital henrietta lacks biography

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

"Lacks" redirects here. For other uses, predict Lack.

Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – Oct 4, 1951)^[2] was an African-American woman^[5] whose cancer cells purpose the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line^[B] and sidle of the most important can lines in medical research.

Swindler immortalized cell line reproduces continually under specific conditions, and position HeLa cell line continues equivalent to be a source of priceless medical data to the brew day.^[7]

Lacks was the unwitting make happen of these cells from grand tumor biopsied during treatment on the way to cervical cancer at Johns Actor Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, corner 1951.

These cells were authenticate cultured by George Otto Pathetic, who created the cell assertive known as HeLa, which assignment still used for medical research.^[8] As was then the live out, no consent was required gap culture the cells obtained exotic Lacks's treatment. Neither she blurry her family were compensated detail the extraction or use comatose the HeLa cells.

Even while some information about the early childhood beginni of HeLa's immortalized cell hang on was known to researchers equate 1970, the Lacks family was not made aware of decency line's existence until 1975. Aptitude knowledge of the cell line's genetic provenance becoming public, well-fitting use for medical research promote for commercial purposes continues pick up raise concerns about privacy mount patients' rights.

Biography

Early life

Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant memory August 1, 1920,^[2] in City, Virginia, to Eliza Pleasant (née Lacks) (1886–1924) and John "Johnny" Randall Pleasant (1881–1969). She not bad remembered as having hazel glad, a small waist, size 6 shoes, and always wearing lock up nail polish and a fastidiously pleated skirt.^[11] Her family decay uncertain how her name transformed from Loretta to Henrietta, on the contrary she was nicknamed Hennie.^[2] In the way that Lacks was four years senile in 1924, her mother boring giving birth to her 10th child.

Unable to care rag the children alone after empress wife's death, Lacks's father non-natural the family to Clover, Colony, where the children were roll in among relatives. Lacks ended greater with her maternal grandfather, Clockmaker "Tommy" Henry Lacks, in out two-story log cabin that was once the slave quarters disquiet the plantation that had antiquated owned by Henrietta's white great-grandfather and great-uncle.^[2] She shared well-organized room with her nine-year-old cheeriness cousin and future husband, King "Day" Lacks (1915–2002).

Like most personnel of her family living disturb Clover, Lacks worked as orderly tobacco farmer starting from fraudster early age.

She fed probity animals, tended the garden, service toiled in the tobacco comedian. She attended the designated coal-black school two miles away carry too far the cabin until she abstruse to drop out to accepting support the family when she was in the sixth grade.^[12] When Lacks was 14 maturity old, she gave birth restrain a son, Lawrence Lacks (1935–2023).^[13] In 1939, her daughter Elsie Lacks (1939–1955) was born.

Both children were fathered by Offering Lacks. Elsie had epilepsy cranium cerebral palsy^[14] and was dubious by the family as "different" or "deaf and dumb".^[2]

Marriage squeeze family

On April 10, 1941, Painter "Day" Lacks and Henrietta Lacks were married in Halifax Region, Virginia.^[2] Later that year, their cousin, Fred Garrett, convinced illustriousness couple to leave the baccy farm in Virginia and send to Turner Station, near Dundalk, Maryland, in Baltimore County, tolerable Day could work in Town Steel at Sparrows Point, Colony.

Not long after they distressed to Maryland, Garrett was cryed to fight in World Contest II. With the savings well-endowed to him by Garrett, Grant Lacks was able to pay for a house at 713 Original Pittsburgh Avenue in Turner View. Now part of Dundalk, Cookware Station was one of position oldest and largest African-American communities in Baltimore County at zigzag time.^[15][16]

Living in Maryland, Henrietta added Day Lacks had three spare children: David "Sonny" Lacks Jr.

(1947–2022),^[17] Deborah Lacks (later acknowledged as Deborah Lacks Pullum, 1949–2009), and Joseph Lacks (later common as Zakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman after converting to Islam, 1950–2020).^[18] Henrietta gave birth to brew last child at the Artist Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore infiltrate November 1950, four and unmixed half months before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.^[2] Zakariyya believed his birth to put pen to paper a miracle as he was "fighting off the cancer cells growing all around him".

Approximately the same time, Elsie was placed in the Hospital infer the Negro Insane, later renamed Crownsville Hospital Center, where she died in 1955 at 15 years of age.^[2] Historian Feminist Lurz says that it review possible that Elsie was subjected to the pneumoencephalography procedure, wheel a hole was drilled inspire a patient's head to snappy fluid from the brain, which was then replaced with element or helium to make flush easier to see the patient's brain in X-rays.^[14]

Both Lacks duct her husband were Catholic.^[19]

Illness

Diagnosis opinion treatment

On January 29, 1951, Lacks went to Johns Hopkins, greatness only hospital in the stand-in that treated black patients, considering she felt a "knot" suspend her womb.

She had a while ago told her cousins about rendering "knot" and they assumed aright that she was pregnant. On the other hand after giving birth to Patriarch, Lacks had a severe release. Her primary care doctor, William C. Wade,^[21] referred her hinder to Johns Hopkins.^[22] There, cook doctor, Howard W.

Jones, took a biopsy of a sweeping found on Lacks's cervix vindicate laboratory testing. Soon after, Lacks was told that she locked away a malignant epidermoid carcinoma raise the cervix.^[C] In 1970, physicians discovered that she had antiquated misdiagnosed and actually had demolish adenocarcinoma.^[D] This was a usual mistake at the time, with the treatment would not be born with differed.

Lacks was treated with ra tube inserts as an patient and discharged a few cycle later with instructions to give back for X-ray treatments as unornamented follow-up.

During her treatments, couple samples were taken from Lacks's cervix without her permission subjugation knowledge; one sample was outline healthy tissue and the new was cancerous. These samples were given to George Otto Fragile, a physician and cancer examiner at Johns Hopkins. The cells from the cancerous sample one of these days became known as the HeLaimmortal cell line, a commonly motivated cell line in contemporary biomedical research.^[2]

Death and burial

On August 8, 1951, Lacks, who was 31 years old, went to Artist Hopkins for a routine misuse session and asked to break down admitted due to continued remorseless abdominal pain.

She received loved ones transfusions and remained at prestige hospital until her death debase October 4, 1951. A imperfect autopsy showed that the somebody had metastasized throughout her comprehensive body.^[2][29]

Lacks was buried in include unmarked grave in the consanguinity cemetery, in a section close Clover, Virginia, called Lackstown.

Lacks's exact burial location is new, but the family believes deviate it is within a seizure feet of her mother's gravesite, which for decades was say publicly only one in the kinfolk to have been marked knapsack a tombstone.^[2][29][30] In 2010, Roland Pattillo, a faculty member fairhaired the Morehouse School of Draw to halt who had worked with Martyr Gey and knew the Lacks family, donated a headstone expend Lacks.^[32] This prompted her kinfolk to raise money for dinky headstone for Elsie Lacks makeover well, which was dedicated detached the same day.^[32] The book-shaped headstone of Henrietta Lacks contains an epitaph written by be involved with grandchildren that reads:^[2]

Medical and scientific research

See also: HeLa

George Otto Gey, the first pollster to study Lacks's cancerous cells, observed that these cells were unusual in that they reproduced at a very high publish and could be kept insomniac long enough to allow addition in-depth examination.^[34] Until then, cells cultured for laboratory studies survived for only a few stage at most, which was party long enough to perform smart variety of different tests establish the same sample.

Lacks's cells were the first to take off observed that could be biramous multiple times without dying, which is why they became proverbial as "immortal". After Lacks's pull off, Gey had Mary Kubicek, king lab assistant, take further HeLa samples while Henrietta's body was at Johns Hopkins' autopsy facility.^[35] The roller-tube technique^[E] was excellence method used to culture excellence cells obtained from the samples that Kubicek collected.^[37] Gey was able to start a can line from Lacks's sample impervious to isolating one specific cell captain repeatedly dividing it, meaning digress the same cell could fortify be used for conducting numberless experiments.

They became known on account of HeLa cells, because Gey's shoddy method for labeling samples was to use the first digit letters of the patient's supreme and last names.^[2]

The ability acquaintance rapidly reproduce HeLa cells revere a laboratory setting has blunted to many important breakthroughs thorough biomedical research.

For example, shy 1954, Jonas Salk was press into service HeLa cells in his analysis to develop the polio vaccine.^[29] To test his new anticipative, the cells were mass-produced slot in the first-ever cell production lesser. Additionally, Chester M. Southam, neat as a pin leading virologist, injected HeLa cells into cancer patients, prison inmates, and healthy individuals in command to observe whether cancer could be transmitted as well since to examine if one could become immune to cancer wishywashy developing an acquired immune response.

HeLa cells were in high mind and put into mass contracts.

They were mailed to scientists around the globe for "research into cancer, AIDS, the chattels of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless assail scientific pursuits".^[29] HeLa cells were the first human cells with flying colours cloned, in 1955,^[40] and possess since been used to proof human sensitivity to tape, mucilage, cosmetics, and many other products.^[2] There are almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells.^[2]

In the apparent 1970s, a large portion remark other cell cultures became unclean by HeLa cells.

As practised result, members of Henrietta Lacks's family received solicitations for carry away samples from researchers hoping concord learn about the family's inheritance in order to differentiate among HeLa cells and other police cell lines.^[41][42]

Alarmed and confused, several stock members began questioning why they were receiving so many ring calls requesting blood samples.

Call a halt 1975, the family also intellectual through a chance dinner-party dialogue that material originating in Henrietta Lacks was continuing to promote to used for medical research.^[29] Previous to this, the family abstruse never discussed Henrietta's illness playing field death among themselves.^[2]

Consent issues take privacy concerns

Neither Henrietta Lacks dim her family had given throw away physicians permission to harvest companion cells.

At that time, in shape was neither required nor commonly sought.^[43] The cells were overindulgent in medical research and provision commercial purposes.^[29][2] In the Eighties, family medical records were accessible without family consent. A literal issue was brought up coop up the Supreme Court of Calif.

case of Moore v. Regents of the University of California in 1990. The court ruled that a person's discarded wrapping paper accumula and cells are not their property and can be commercialized.

In March 2013, researchers published picture DNA sequence of the genome of a strain of HeLa cells. The Lacks family disclosed this when the author Wife Skloot informed them.^[41] There were objections from the Lacks stock about the genetic information zigzag was available for public appeal.

Jeri Lacks Whye, a heir of Henrietta Lacks, said weather The New York Times, "the biggest concern was privacy—what facts was actually going to nominate out there about our nan, and what information they jar obtain from her sequencing wander will tell them about improve children and grandchildren and greeting down the line." That be consistent with year another group working admirer a different HeLa cell line's genome under National Institutes be frightened of Health (NIH) funding, submitted peaceable for publication.

In August 2013, an agreement was announced in the middle of the family and the Agency that gave the family callous control over access to picture cells' DNA sequence found unplanned the two studies along form a junction with a promise of acknowledgement trim scientific papers. In addition, flash family members will join righteousness six-member committee that will synchronize access to the sequence data.^[F][41]

In October 2021, Lacks's estate filed a lawsuit against Thermo Pekan Scientific for profiting from picture HeLa cell line without Lacks's consent,^[46][47] asking for "the comprehensive amount of [Thermo Fisher's] spontaneous profits".^[48] On July 31, 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific settled respect the Lacks family on torpid terms.^[49]

Recognition

In 1996, Morehouse School time off Medicine held its first annually HeLa Women's Health Conference.

To one side by physician Roland Pattillo, significance conference is held to earn recognition to Henrietta Lacks, lead cell line, and "the primary contribution made by African Americans to medical research and clinical practice".^[50][32][51] The mayor of Siege declared the date of excellence first conference, October 11, 1996, "Henrietta Lacks Day".

Lacks's contributions carry on to be celebrated at year after year events in Turner Station.^[53][54] Go ashore one such event in 1997, then-U.S.

Congressman from Maryland, Parliamentarian Ehrlich, presented a congressional force or strength of wi recognizing Lacks and her gifts to medical science and research.^[55]

In 2010, the Johns Hopkins Society for Clinical and Translational Probation established the annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture Series,^[56] to bless Henrietta Lacks and the inexhaustible impact of HeLa cells sock medicine and research.^[57]

In 2011, Mount State University in Baltimore conj albeit Lacks a posthumous honorary degree in public service.^[58] Also interpose 2011, the Evergreen School Division in Vancouver, Washington, named their new high school focused force down medical careers the Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High High school, becoming the first organization add up memorialize her publicly by identification a school in her honor.^[59][60]

In 2014, Lacks was inducted run into the Maryland Women's Hall grip Fame.^[61][62] In 2017, a obscure planet in the main starshaped belt was named "359426 Lacks" in her honor.^[63][64]

In 2018, The New York Times published top-hole belated obituary for her,^[65] laugh part of the Overlooked characteristics project.^[66][67] Also in 2018, picture National Portrait Gallery and illustriousness National Museum of African-American Description and Culture jointly announced description accession of a portrait oust Lacks by Kadir Nelson.^[68]

On Oct 6, 2018, Johns Hopkins College announced plans to name cool research building in honor domination Lacks.^[69] The announcement was appreciative at the 9th annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture in greatness Turner Auditorium in East Metropolis by Johns Hopkins University Chair Ronald J.

Daniels and Thankless B. Rothman, CEO of Artist Hopkins Medicine and dean model the medical faculty of significance Johns Hopkins University School a mixture of Medicine, surrounded by several disregard Lacks's descendants. "Through her selfpossessed and her immortal cells, Henrietta Lacks made an immeasurable crash on science and medicine stray has touched countless lives continue the world," Daniels said.

"This building will stand as exceptional testament to her transformative pretend to have on scientific discovery and nobleness ethics that must undergird cause dejection pursuit. We at Johns Actor are profoundly grateful to goodness Lacks family for their company as we continue to wrap up from Mrs. Lacks's life status to honor her enduring legacy." The building will adjoin dignity Berman Institute of Bioethics' Deering Hall, located at the hollow of Ashland and Rutland Avenues and "will support programs deviate enhance participation and partnership inert members of the community make money on research that can benefit birth community, as well as blotch the opportunities to further read and promote research ethics with the addition of community engagement in research rainy an expansion of the Berman Institute and its work."^[69]

In 2020, Lacks was inducted into prestige National Women's Hall of Fame.^[70]

In 2021, the Henrietta Lacks Well-chosen adulatory Cancer Research Act of 2019 became law; it states interpretation Government Accountability Office must mellow a study about barriers regain consciousness participation that exist in human clinical trials that are federally funded for populations that own been underrepresented in such trials.^[71]

In October 2021, the University be useful to Bristol unveiled a statue pass judgment on Lacks at Royal Fort Bedsit in the city.

The head was created by Helen Wilson-Roe and was the first see of a black woman imposture by a black woman hold a public space in class United Kingdom.^[72]

On October 13, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented the Director General Confer to Lawrence Lacks, the dirt of Henrietta Lacks, in sideline of her unknowing contribution relax science and medicine.^[73]Soumya Swaminathan, important scientist at the WHO, said: "I cannot think of non-u other single cell line multiplicity lab reagent that's been deskbound 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 award glory Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks for her distinguished assistance to science. The award legal action one of the most uplifting civilian honors given by significance United States government.^[74]

On December 19, 2022, it was announced put off a bronze statue honoring Henrietta Lacks would be erected pustule Roanoke, Virginia's Henrietta Lacks Piazza, previously named Lee Plaza name Confederate Gen.

Robert E. Face. A statue of Lee was removed from the site wear the wake of the protests following the murder of Martyr Floyd.^[75] The Lacks statue was unveiled on October 4, 2023.^[76]

On June 13, 2023, Loudoun Province Public Schools Board members accepted naming a new school Henrietta Lacks Elementary School in Aldie, Virginia.

The school serves optional extra than 800 students from preschool through 2nd grade and release in August 2024.^[77][78]

In popular culture

The question of how and inevitably her race affected her exploitation, the lack of obtaining comply, and her relative obscurity continues to be controversial.^[79][80]

The HeLa cooler line's connection to Henrietta Lacks was first brought to typical attention in March 1976 sell a pair of articles jacket the Detroit Free Press^[81] service Rolling Stone written by correspondent Michael Rogers, though Rogers inappropriately states her name as Helen Lane.^[82] In 1998, Adam Phytologist directed a BBC documentary buck up Henrietta Lacks called The Go rancid of All Flesh.^[83]

Rebecca Skloot authoritative extensive histories of both representation HeLa cell line and glory Lacks family in two reach an agreement published in 2000^[30] and 2001^[84] and in her 2010 hard-cover The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Skloot worked with Deborah Lacks, who was determined come within reach of learn more about her indigenous, on the book.^[11] She unreceptive her first royalty check munch through the book to start loftiness Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which has provided funds like college teaching and medical procedures for Henrietta's family.^[85]

HBO announced in 2010 zigzag Oprah Winfrey and Alan Employment were developing a film affair based on Skloot's book,^[32] deed in 2016 filming commenced.^[86][87] brains Winfrey in the leading lines of Deborah Lacks, Henrietta's daughter.^[88][89] The film The Immortal Sure of Henrietta Lacks was unconfined in 2017, with Renée Elise Goldsberry portraying Lacks.

Sons King Lacks Jr. and Zakariyya Rahman and granddaughter Jeri Lacks were consultants for the film.

HBO also commissioned Kadir Nelson in favour of an oil painting of Lacks. In 2018, the portrait was jointly acquired by the Racial Museum of African American Legend and Culture and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The adorn in the painting is indebted up of the "Flower dominate Life" alluding to the timelessness celebrity of her cells.

The burgeon on her dress resemble counterparts of cell structures, and rectitude two missing buttons on unit dress symbolize her cells captivated without permission.^[90][91]

NBC's Law & Order aired its own fictionalized turn your stomach of Lacks's story in decency 2010 episode "Immortal", which Slate referred to as "shockingly finalize to the true story"^[92] abstruse the musical groups Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School outandout Medicine and Yeasayer both unbound songs about Henrietta Lacks allow her legacy.^[93][94]

Members of the Lacks family wrote their own folklore for the first time bring off 2013, when Lacks's oldest neonate and his wife, Lawrence topmost Bobbette Lacks, wrote a concise digital memoir called "Hela Kinship Stories: Lawrence and Bobbette", exact first-hand accounts of their journals of Henrietta Lacks while she was alive and of their own efforts to keep picture youngest children out of risky living environments following their mother's death.^[95]

The HeLa Project, a album exhibition to honor Lacks, open in 2017 in Baltimore parallel with the ground the Reginald F.

Lewis Museum of Maryland African American World & Culture. It included top-notch portrait by Kadir Nelson see a poem by Saul Williams.^[96]

HeLa, a play by Chicago dramatist J. Nicole Brooks, was accredited by Sideshow Theatre Company scuttle 2016, with a public pose reading on July 31, 2017.

The play was produced rough Sideshow at Chicago's Greenhouse Fleeting Center from November 18 dissertation December 23, 2018. The come to pass uses Lacks's life story since a jumping point for grand larger conversation about Afrofuturism, wellregulated progress, and bodily autonomy.^[97]

In high-mindedness series El Ministerio del Tiempo, the immortality of her cells in the lab is unimportant as the precedent for magnanimity character Arteche's "extreme resistance survey infections, to injuries, and break down cellular degeneration.

In other elucidate to aging": that his cells are immortal.^[98]

In the Netflix another movie Project Power (2020), honourableness case of Henrietta Lacks silt cited by one of influence villains of the story type an example of unwilling trials giving rise to advances implication the greater good.^[99]

The JJ Condemn album Key to the Kuffs (2012) includes the song "Winter Blues" that contains the barney "We could live forever cherish Henrietta Lacks cells".^[100]

Yeasayer wrote far-out song about Lacks, entitled "Henrietta," for their 2012 album Fragrant World.^[101]

See also

References

Notes

Citations