HeLa Cells: The Reason You Are Alive

By ARMITA AGHAMIRI

Do you ever walk across campus, your face half-frozen by the Wisconsin wind and think, “how did I end up in the middle of nowhere?” Between the geese screaming overhead and the frost creeping into your soul, it’s easy to spiral. But then I stop myself. Because even in this tundra of stress and iced-over sidewalks, I’m thankful. Thankful that I get to be here. That science got us this far. That Henrietta Lacks slayed so hard that we literally owe her our lives.

So, who exactly is this woman whose cells changed everything?

Henrietta Lacks was a Black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Without her knowledge or consent, doctors at Johns Hopkins took a sample of her tumor cells — cells that would later be named “HeLa” by scientists, not because of the name Henrietta Lacks, but because they renamed it to Helen Lane. A white name. Classic, isn’t it? Unlike any other cells before them, these cells didn’t die. They kept dividing, thriving, and changing the course of medical history. Her cells became the foundation for more than 74,000 studies, helping develop the polio vaccine, cancer treatments, and even space medicine.

But behind the breakthroughs was a story of exploitation. As there always is. Henrietta’s family didn’t learn about her immortal cells until over 60 years later. In 2013, when her full genome was published online in some German article without their permission, it raised serious questions about genetic privacy and the ethics of research. The Lacks family eventually fought for recognition and helped create a policy requiring that any use of her genetic data go through a special NIH committee.

Henrietta’s story makes us think about the cost of scientific progress and whose bodies pay for it. The progress we’ve witnessed in modern medicine is something to be proud of. However, we must never ignore the ugly history of advancement. There are more Henriettas out there. We have to come to terms with the ways our advancements have been built off of their hidden legacies. 

Featured image: African American Registry