Henrietta Lacks’ family win recognition for immortal cell line

The family of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose tumour cells revolutionised modern medicine, have been granted a say in how the cells are used, sixty years after her death.

The National Institute of Health has announced in Nature that is has reached an agreement with Lacks’ family to allow biomedical researchers controlled access to the whole genome data of cells derived from her tumour.

NIH Director, Francis S. Collins, said: “Just like their matriarch, the Lacks family continues to have a significant impact on medical progress by providing access to an important scientific tool that researchers will use to study the cause and effect of many diseases with the goal of developing treatments.”

Henrietta Lacks had cells removed from her tumour when she was being treated for terminal cancer by doctors in 1951. Researchers later found that her cells were the first that could grow indefinitely in the laboratory.

HeLa cells have already been used extensively in scientific research and have helped make possible some of the most important medical advances of the past 60 years. The cells are the most widely used human cell lines in existence today.

The understanding reached with the Lacks family respects their wishes to enable scientific progress will ensure public acknowledgement of the enormous contribution made by Henrietta. This understanding also allows the Lacks family to have a say in reviewing applications for controlled access to Henretta Lacks’ whole genome data.

“The HeLa genome is another chapter to the never ending story of our Henrietta Lacks. She is a phenomenal woman who continues to amaze the world. The Lacks family is honoured to be part of an important agreement that we believe will be beneficial to everyone,” said Jeri Lacks Whye, Lacks family spokesperson and Henrietta’s granddaughter.