Henrietta Lacks, Blood Shortages, and Dangerous Bed Rails

Henrietta Lacks, whose "immortal" continuously dividing cancer cells underpin numerous areas of research, was a Black mother of five in 1951. She suffered from cervical cancer and sought care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the only area hospitals treating African Americans at the time. But before she began the era's standard radium treatment, doctors cut out a dime-sized sample of her tumor and another of her healthy tissue while she was unconscious. Consent was not required for research sampling at the time, and a Hopkins researcher named George Gey was routinely sent cells extracted from any cervical cancer patients at the hospital.

> Lacks' tumor was purple, shiny, and soft—an appearance very different from typical tumors. (More)
> More than 100,000 scientific publications between 1953 and 2018 reported using Lacks' cells. (More)

The prolific cells, now known to have been infected with human papillomavirus, were a research boon because they continuously divide, doubling roughly every 24 hours, whereas most human cells die within days in the lab. The cells, labeled "HeLa" for Henrietta Lacks, were widely distributed for research use in the decades that followed, including in multiple Nobel Prize-winning works, more than 100,000 published papers, and the polio and COVID-19 vaccines.

> Researchers are still investigating the specific mechanisms that enabled the cells to continuously grow and divide in the laboratory. (More)

> HeLa cells were used for vaccines, IVF-related research, and major cancer drugs long after Lacks' death. (More)

> HeLa cells cause millions of dollars of damage annually by contaminating lab cell cultures. (More)

Lacks died about eight months after her tissue samples were taken, but a 2010 book by journalist Rebecca Skloot illuminated her enormous contributions, led to global bioethics discussions, and spurred actions, including her family's lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies that utilized HeLa cells for their patents.

> Novartis settled with the family of Henrietta Lacks in 2026 for an undisclosed sum after using Lacks' cancerous cells in numerous patents. (More)

> Read an excerpt of Skloot's book. (More)

Discover more: 

> HeLa cells were sent into space in 1960 on both Soviet and American missions. (More)

> See the trailer for the HBO Henrietta Lacks movie starring Oprah Winfrey. (More)
>... explore everything we've learned about Henrietta Lacks.

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind recent intriguing stories:

American Red Cross declares second-ever national blood supply crisis as needs soar during summer traumas and donations decline due to seasonal travel and the absence of school blood drives. (More)

> Watch this primer on blood types.

> About four minutes without blood flow can lead to brain damage.

Celebrities are promoting prescription drugs on social media, like GLP-1s, without talking about their potential risks. (More)

> GLP-1s were derived from Gila monster saliva.

AHRQ, a small federal agency focused on patient safety and known for curbing hospital infections, had all its grant managers fired, hobbling its ability to function. (More)

> A drug-resistant "superbug" is the top cause of hospital infections.
> Superbugs, explained.

Hospitals are reporting a sharp rise in uninsured patients due to Affordable Care Act cuts. (More)

> What are the ACA subsidies that expired?

Researchers say hundreds of crime labs that handle forensic evidence and paternity tests are vulnerable to tampering, with 30 years of crime files at risk of hacking.

> There was a backlog of at least 25,000 untested rape kits in 2022.

> The first criminal conviction through the use of DNA evidence was in 1988.

 Medical Developments Spotlight 

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

Mold exposure is a concerning problem in the wake of natural disasters, and will likely grow due to climate change.

AP News | Michael Stobbe. A first-of-its-kind estimate of mold-related illness suggests that clinicians will see three to five cases annually for every 100 inpatient hospital beds. It found that in Atlanta-area hospitals over five years (between 2020 and 2024) there were about 450 such cases, and about a third of the patients died. (More)

> Fungal diseases cost the US around $19B annually.

Low-frequency ultrasound may be a useful oral cancer cell treatment.

The Scientist | Sneha Khedkar. Distinct properties of cancerous cells related to their biomechanics make targeting them via low-frequency ultrasound possible, according to new research. The approach halted the spread of cancerous cells in lab studies, a finding that buoys hopes that this approach may one day be a way to help treat oral cancers. (More)

> Why don't large animals, like elephants, get cancer? 

Four out of give toddler foods are ultraprocessed, meaning they're largely made from refined ingredients and additives.

USA Today | Drew Pittock. The finding, based on analysis of more than 2,500 products sold at 21 grocery stores across Austin, Texas, was that more than 80% of the available toddler foods aren't as full of nutrients as parents may have assumed, falling short of a toddler food standard established by the World Health Organization. (More)

> Ultraprocessed foods were linked to dementia earlier this year.

1440 Explains: Can Doctors Use Your Tissue Without Asking? 

 Etcetera 

> Getting lost in a good book is a mental health wellness trend.

> This large mosquito can eat dozens of smaller human-biting mosquitoes in just one day.

> Donald Unger cracked his knuckles for 60 years on one hand but not the other to see if there was a difference in arthritis.

> Epigenetic editing, a genetic editing technique without snipping DNA, is having a moment.

> Some vaccines appear to be more effective when taken at specific times of day.

> See how the definition of autism has evolved, leading to more diagnoses and care.

> Why are some bed rails continuing to pose a safety hazard, killing nine people in two years? 

> Tuberculosis research helped lead to antidepressants.
 

> Scientific advances have upended the idea of death as a single moment. 

>  Gut bacteria are evolving and changing, acquiring as many as 100 new genes annually.

> Modern genetic testing stems from Down syndrome work. 

> Theoretically, you could lose a bunch of your organs and still survive.

> Food allergies were first documented more than 4,000 years ago.