Henrietta Lacks favored the discovery of HeLa cells – 02/23/2024 – Sou Ciência

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) held an activity in honor of Henrietta Lacks. In fact, many people – even among scientists – are ignorant of Henrietta’s name or life. However, even without knowing its history, most professionals in the medical or biomedical field know (or have heard of) what HeLa cells are.

The fact is that science owes a lot to Henrietta, a black woman who, in 1951, sought treatment at the John Hopkins medical center, one of the largest in the USA, to try to save herself from cervical cancer. At the time, there were few places that treated black women and, in addition, there was great ignorance about the aggressive effects of a type of tumor that, in a short time, took Henrietta’s life (at 31 years of age). During the treatment and without her knowledge, as there were no rules like the ones we have today, cells from the tumor were removed for biopsy and taken to the laboratory. They showed a characteristic never seen before: the ability to reproduce indefinitely when cultivated properly – which is why they are called immortalized cells. It was only many years later that Henrietta’s family became aware of the existence of these samples and the countless studies that had generated – and are still being carried out – based on the analysis or use of HeLa cells.

Today, we know that studies with this type of cell have provided greater knowledge about cervical cancer, as well as ways to combat it. In particular, it allowed the development of the vaccine against the HPV virus, the main cause of this cancer. Currently, the world, including Brazilian organizations, such as the Instituto Vencer o Câncer and Grupo Mulheres do Brasil, together with the Ministry of Health, have been developing vaccine campaigns, as the vaccine is available in the SUS and can combat this type of tumor. , which affects girls, adolescents and women and can be fully prevented. In addition to the development of the vaccine and immunization, the use of immortalized and laboratory-grown cells allowed the study of polio, the development of medicines against HIV, as well as the deepening of knowledge about numerous diseases, such as leukemia and Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s. Furthermore, HeLa has been used as a model to study a variety of other diseases.

Therefore, it is essential that science and scientists recognize the importance of those who, with their lives or their bodies, allowed the search for new knowledge – and who contributed to millions of people benefiting from unprecedented treatments and knowledge. If, in the past, this occurred involuntarily, currently, there is a lot of rigor in donations and studies with humans, which can only be done with express and authorized consent, submission to ethics committees and strictly enforced laws.

Fortunately, we have countless volunteers in various research studies looking for new treatments, with or without medication, as well as new techniques. We also have old, extensively studied medicines used to treat new diseases – what is known as drug repositioning. And there are people who voluntarily donate their bodies for the future.

Currently, the identities of this large number of people who voluntarily contribute to research must be kept confidential, as there are laws that require the “anonymization” of data. This is important, as identities are kept protected from influence, vested interests or discrimination. To carry out research with human beings, in addition to authorization, all demonstrated safety protocols must be present. It is not permitted to carry out tests without prior verification and there are control and protection systems. And, even after studies have been completed and the effectiveness and safety of a treatment or method has been proven, observation continues for a long time. Today we have important advances and many security systems to protect the lives of patients and also those of volunteers.

Henrietta’s story was turned into a book (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot) and also a film. Even so, how many students passed through the laboratory without knowing her story and life? Even her children only learned about her contribution many years after her death. There are, certainly, many other anonymous lives that acted in favor of science without knowing it.

To each and every one, our recognition remains. To all of them, those then and now, we can only be grateful. After all, science would not have made (and would not continue to make) its great advances without the contribution of these people.

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