The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks

The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks

Imagine something small enough to float on a dust, and that allows to understand cancer, virology and genetics. Fortunately for us, there are billions of this little thing: human cells called HeLa, grown in the laboratory.

Let’s go back for a second. Human cells are grown to study their functioning, understand the development of diseases and test treatments, without putting patients at risk. To be able to replicate these experiments and compare the results with those of other scientists, it is necessary to have large samples of identical cells, which can faithfully duplicate themselves for years.

Until 1951, all the ones that researchers tried to grow died after a few days. One day, George Gey, a researcher at the John Hopkins Hospital, received a sample of a strange tumor: it was dark purple, shiny and gelatinous. This sample was unique.

Some of his cells continued to divide, over and over again. When cells died, millions of copies replaced them and multiplied. It was an unlimited source of identical cells. The first line of immortal human cells. Gey called it HeLa in honor of Henrietta Lack, who had this tumor.

Born in Virginia in a tobacco plantation, she lived in Baltimore with her husband and five children. She died of cervical cancer shortly after her cells were removed. She never knew. What’s special about Henrietta Lacks' cells that allows them to survive when other cells die? We don’t know exactly.

Normal cells have built-in controls. They can divide 50 times before they self-destruct. Cell death is called apoptosis. It prevents the spread of genetic errors that appear after several divisions. Cancer cells continue to divide endlessly, becoming more numerous than healthy cells.

Cells eventually die, especially outside the human body. Except for HeLa cells, and we don’t know why. When Gey saw that he had the first immortal cells, he sent samples to labs around the world. The world’s first cell manufacturing centre has rapidly produced 6000 billion HeLa per week.

But that was an ethical problem. Scientists have built their careers on Henrietta’s cells without his or his family’s consent. The polio epidemic peaked in the 1950s. The HeLa cells, which could replicate the virus, allowed Jonas Salk to test his vaccine.

They’re used to study diseases, including measles, mumps, HIV, and Ebola. We know that the cells have 46 chromosomes because, in studying HeLa, we discovered a chemical that reveals the chromosomes. The HeLa have 80 chromosomes that have undergone many mutations.

They were the first to be cloned. They were sent into space. Telomerase, an enzyme that repairs the DNA of cancer cells, was first discovered in HeLa. Ironically, it is thanks to the HeLa that we know that cervical cancer is caused by the papillomavirus and that we now have a vaccine.

Thousands of articles have been published on the findings of HeLa, perhaps even more. The HeLa are resilient enough to move on all surfaces: a laboratory hand, a dust, they invade other cells like weeds. Henrietta Lacks has developed hundreds of treatments

In conclusion, the story of Henrietta Lacks is a complex and thought-provoking one, raising many important questions about medical ethics, racial inequality, and the rights of individuals. Through her unwitting contribution to medical science, Henrietta has left a lasting legacy that has changed the course of scientific research and helped to save countless lives. However, her story also highlights the troubling history of medical exploitation and racism in America, and serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality. While Henrietta may have been a forgotten figure for many years, her story has now been brought to light, and her life and contributions continue to be celebrated and remembered by millions around the world.