From: Black America Web
Henrietta Lacks' cancer cells would lead to advanced research in the study of cancer and other diseases for years to come.
In 1951, a black woman named Henrietta Lacks would pass away from cancer on Oct. 4th. Little did she or her family know that her passing would lead to advanced research in the study of cancer and other diseases for years to come.
After Lack's death, Dr. George Gey would use her cells for cancer research, which sparked a legal controversy later about patients' rights and ownership of physical matter after death. The courts ruled that the cells were the property of the physician. Originally identified as Helen Lane or Helen Larson to protect her identity, it would later be revealed that he cells belonged to her. The cell was renamed the HeLa Cell.
Unknown to doctors then, the HeLa Cell would later be used to create a vaccine for polio in 1954 by Jonas Salk.
From the few cells taken from20Lacks' body, doctors made a remarkable cell line that traveled around the globe - and even into space on an unmanned satellite to determine whether human tissues could survive zero gravity.
Since Lacks' death in 1951, her cell line has been used for research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances and gene mapping. HeLa Cells have been used to test human sensitivity to tape glue, cosmetics and many other products.