Henrietta Lacks

Lacks is the source of the HeLa "immortal" cell line, one of the most important human cell lines in the history of medical research. Lacks's cells, taken without her knowledge or consent, transformed the landscape of modern medicine, while Lacks herself remained long deprived of recognition and recompense.

The HeLa cell line, established in 1951, has been critical to the development of vaccines, most notably the polio vaccine, and cancer research. The line has also been crucial in AIDS research, pharmaceutical testing, genetic research, virology, toxicology, and space research. The widespread use of HeLa cells in scientific research is evident from the more than 11,000 patents involving the cells and the estimated 50 million plus metric tons of HeLa cells that have been cultured to date. These cells continue to be widely used in laboratories worldwide, driving further advancements in biomedical research.

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