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Maryland lawmakers present Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act
Maryland lawmakers introduced a measure Monday to posthumously grant Henrietta Lacks a Congressional Gold Medal for her contributions to aesculapian probe done her HeLa cells.
The Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced by Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, would grant Lacks for her publication to life-saving research, adjacent though her compartment samples were taken without her consent.
Who is Henrietta Lacks?
Lacks was calved successful the 1920s successful Virginia. She aboriginal moved to Maryland, and successful her 30s, she discovered that she had cervical cancer.
She visited a doc for attraction astatine the Johns Hopkins Hospital successful Baltimore. At the time, it was 1 of the lone hospitals that would assistance African Americans, according to the bill.
During her treatment, a doc took samples of Lacks' cervical insubstantial without her consent. Lacks' crab progressed, and she died months later, leaving down a hubby and 5 kids.
Despite her death, Lacks' cells were reproduced indefinitely successful a laboratory and utilized successful assorted biomedical probe projects. Her cells, which became known arsenic HeLa cells, were recovered to beryllium incredibly durable and grew astatine a accelerated rate.
Research involving HeLa cells has led to the discoveries of treatments for illnesses specified arsenic polio, HIV/AIDS, leukemia and Parkinson's disease, according to the bill.
In 2013, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave the Lacks household power implicit however the findings from the HeLa cells could beryllium used. In 2024, Johns Hopkins University besides acknowledged Lacks' contributions with a Henrietta Lacks Building successful East Baltimore.
Controversy implicit informed consent
Henrietta Lacks' cells were utilized for technological and aesculapian probe without her oregon her family's permission.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, successful the 1950s, the postulation and usage of Lacks' cells successful probe was an acceptable and ineligible practice. However, researchers indispensable present person the patient's consent.
In 2013, Johns Hopkins formalized an statement with Lacks' household and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that requires scientists and aesculapian researchers to get support to usage the HeLa cells.
However, successful the 1950s, according to Johns Hopkins, determination was nary established consent from compartment oregon insubstantial donors. There were besides nary section oregon nationalist regulations connected the usage of cells successful research.
Now, determination are strict standards of informed consent for the usage of cells oregon donations for research.
The Lacks household has sued respective pharmaceutical companies, including the billion-dollar biotech companies Ultragenyx and Thermo Fisher Scientific, implicit utilizing HeLa cells without consent.
In 2023, Lacks' household settled with Thermo Fisher. The presumption were confidential. In May 2024, a justice rejected Ultragenyx's effort to disregard a suit filed by the family.
Lawmakers item value of honoring Henrietta Lacks
So far, the measure has received enactment from astir 27 lawmakers and from the Henrietta Lacks Initiative and the Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group.
"Her cells unlocked a breakthrough successful aesculapian research, starring to treatments and cures that are bettering people's lives to this day," Sen. Van Hollen said. "But Mrs. Lacks ne'er consented to the usage of her cells – nor did she person rightful recognition for the monumental contributions she made."
According to Congressman Mfume, honoring Lacks has go adjacent much important pursuing the predetermination of President Trump.
"HeLa cells person altered the aboriginal of aesculapian science, and the satellite continues to payment from Mrs. Lacks' contributions and sacrifice," Mfume said.
The medication has argued that DEI programs interfere with merit-based hiring and different opportunities and that eliminating DEI programs volition assistance the national authorities chopped costs.
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