#henriettalacks — Public Fediverse posts

#HenriettaLacks’s Family Settles Suit With #Novartis Over Use of Her Cells
Lacks’s family accused Novartis of profiting from her cells, which were taken from her without her consent in 1951, when she was dying of #cervicalcancer.
Lacks’s cells were first to reproduce in lab, outside the human body, and have been used in groundbreaking research, including to develop vaccines for polio and Covid-19 and treatments for cancer, Parkinson’s and the flu.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/us/novartis-settlement-henrietta-lacks-stolen-cells.html
https://archive.ph/vVGEA

still re-watching #OrphanBlack

noticed, for the first time, mention of #CellRegenerationRates, and in the Orphan Black storyline, these are attributed to the cancer cells of one of the characters…
——
and suddenly thought to wonder WHY it was that, in the real world, the cancer cells of #HenriettaLacks (aka #HeLa cells) had had an unusual cell regeneration rate? Her cells, first collected when she had a biopsy in 1951, opened the door for many leaps forward in medicine and science.

for those who don’t know this story, be warned it involves ethical issues around privacy and consent, and the history of segregated medical practices in USA. Further, it was a story that did not end well for Henrietta Lacks herself.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-stolen-cells-of-henrietta-lacks-and-their-ongoing-contribution-to-science

A great development for the family of #HenriettaLacks, as far as I’m aware this is the first time they have received compensation for the theft of her cells in the 1950’s.

Beyond the obvious #racist mistreatment and exploitation of a Black woman, the story of #HeLa raises very critical (and unresolved) questions about ownership and rights to your own “medical waste,” as it’s called.

Companies have made billions using her HeLa cells for #biomedical research, including the development of vaccines and production of biological drugs. (Even I’ve used HeLa cells in my career, not then knowing Henrietta’s story I’m embarrassed to say). But monetization of medical waste happens to this day, and the law doesn’t currently entitle you to a share of that money. It’s a glaring problem that needs legislation to address.

Read the book about her, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” it’s well worth your time.

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/01/1191283359/henrietta-lacks-descendants-settlement-stolen-cells

#scienceethics #medicalethics #exploitation #CellBiology

Family of #HenriettaLacks settles HeLa cell lawsuit with biotech giant, lawyer says https://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-henrietta-lacks-lawsuit-settlement-20230801-dxzfb5brdzaiblq3tryvxt5npq-story.html #maryland #baltimoresun #dmv #racism #blackmastodon #blackfedi #justice #science

@toolbear This discussion around how the statue of #HenriettaLacks isn't a substitution for the #reparations owed to Lacks family actually makes me think of a training on #RacialCapitalism I attended with Francisco Pérez ( @Platanomics on other platforms), Executive Director of the Center for Popular Economics.

Perez made a compelling argument that although symbolic victories aren't a substitution for reparations, they can be really important for increasing awareness and shaping #policy interventions that get us towards the goal of systemic and economic repair

He also has a great series on the limits of #BlackCapitalism
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/how-do-we-build-black-wealth-understanding-the-limits-of-black-capitalism/

Curious to hear from #BlackMastodon and #BlackTwitter what their take is on whether #representation has a place and how it can be leveraged to produce systemic policy change