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Witness History: The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

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The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

17/02/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

The story of a woman who played a largely unsung role in countless medical breakthroughs

In 1951 cells taken from an African American woman suffering from cancer, without her consent, were found to be unique because they carried on reproducing in the laboratory.

The story of an African American woman who played a largely unsung role in countless medical breakthroughs over more than half a century. Henrietta Lacks had cells taken from her body in 1951 when she was suffering from cancer. Those cells were found to be unique in a most particular way. They continued to reproduce endlessly in the laboratory. Culture from those cells have since been used in thousands of scientific experiments. But as Farhana Haider reports, Henrietta herself was never asked if her cells could be used in medical research.

(Photo: Henrietta Lacks. Copyright: Lacks Family)

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