HeLa cells are a line of human cells that were taken from a woman named Henrietta Lacks in 1951 without her knowledge or consent. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who was suffering from cervical cancer.
During her treatment, a sample of her cancer cells was collected by researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. These cells were found to be remarkably robust and could be kept alive and continue to divide in the laboratory, which was a breakthrough for medical research.
HeLa cells became the first human cells to be successfully cultured outside the body, and they played a pivotal role in various medical advancements, such as developing the polio vaccine, understanding the nature of cancer, and advancing cell biology research. These cells have been used in countless scientific studies and experiments around the world.
However, the use of HeLa cells without informed consent raised ethical questions and sparked discussions about medical research ethics and patient rights. Henrietta Lacks' family only learned about the use of her cells years later, leading to important conversations about the ethical handling of human tissue samples.
Her story was brought to public attention through the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot and later adapted into a film. Today, efforts are being made to honor Henrietta Lacks' legacy and ensure that her family's rights are respected in relation to her cells' use in research.
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