On Dec. 5, Salt Lake Community College commemorated the scientific contributions of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cancer cells were the source of the “HeLa” cell line, with an event entitled “Someone You Knew, the Story of Henrietta Lacks.”
The event took place at the Taylorsville Redwood campus and sought to address ethical issues in medicine, featuring the voices of select speakers. Dr. Craig Caldwell, dean of the college’s School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering, first spoke about his experience using HeLa cells while working on his doctorate.
“When you are working on your post-doctorate, there isn’t a lot of time for reflection [on] where these cells come from.” Caldwell said. “It wasn’t until years later [that] I learned that [HeLa] was an acronym for a person’s name. That was Henrietta Lacks.”
The HeLa cell line was obtained from Lacks in 1951 while Dr. George Otto Gey at Johns Hopkins Medicine treated her for cervical cancer. During a time when HIPAA laws were not yet established and consent was not considered necessary, Johns Hopkins distributed the HeLa cell line to various research institutions.
While John Hopkins did not receive any payment for doing so, they also did not obtain consent from Lacks or her family. The HeLa cell line, considered extraordinary for its ability to multiply extensively, was subsequently used for cancer, vaccine and disease research.
One segment of the seven-hour event focused on the tool of storytelling. Susan Sample, Ph.D., and writer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, shared her thoughts on the importance of documenting one’s stories.
“Keep recording your memories and sharing them,” Sample said. “I do believe with all my heart that writing and telling your stories can be healing.”
Allyson Mower, scholarly communication and copyright librarian at the University of Utah Marriott Library, took time to mention the recently formed France Davis Utah Black Archive, which houses historical photographs, records and documents from Utah’s Black community.
The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Ferguson, founder of Black Physicians of Utah and chief medical officer at Health Choice Utah, spoke on the “profound bioethical importance and indelible impact of Henrietta Lacks’ HeLa cells on modern medical advancements.”
“The bioethical dimensions of Henrietta Lacks’ story should prompt us to reflect on the consent, autonomy and responsible use of human tissue,” Ferguson said, adding that Lacks’ story heightens ethical awareness of America’s medical and scientific research and of the exploitation of Black individuals.
“Unfortunately, I’ve seen many parallels [in] Ms. Lacks’ story, highlighting a dark facet of America’s medical and scientific progress … fueled by racism and unethical practices in the past and present that have taken from Black people and given so little in return,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson explained that the HeLa cells allowed for the development of a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to cervical cancer – the condition that claimed Lacks’ life. Ferguson also pointed out how HeLa cells perfected the first in vitro egg fertilization in 1981.
“As we marvel at the scientific advancements facilitated by HeLa cells,” Ferguson remarked in closing, “we must also acknowledge the ethical complexities that [accompany] the progress.”
Film major David Sanders, who hosted last week’s event, said he wanted attendees to walk away with an understanding of Henrietta Lacks’ story and tools to overcome cancer.
“Henrietta Lacks’ contribution was important across the board,” remarked Sanders. He went on to say, “[Lacks] saw cancer as something she had to surrender to because she didn’t have the tools we have. I want attendees to have tools to look at cancer in a different way. Everybody has a story, and Henrietta Lacks is a great intersection. We plan to continue to [tell] her story, and people will draw strength from it.”
