Henrietta Lacks' Family Settles Lawsuit With Biotech Company Over Unauthorized Use Of Her Cells

Henrietta Lacks unknowingly became the source of the HeLa cell line when her cancer cells were taken without her consent in 1951.
HeLa cells have been widely used in medical research and contributed to key discoveries like the polio vaccine.
Lacks' family filed a lawsuit in 2021 accusing Thermo Fisher Scientific of profiting from racist medical practices.
The two sides reached a confidential settlement agreement recently on what would have been Lacks' 103rd birthday.
The case highlights issues of ethics, consent, and racial injustice within the medical system.