Henrietta Lacks – Part 1 Born August 1, 1920 Died October 4, 1951

Henrietta Pheasant Lacks and David (Day) Lacks (Married on April 10, 1941)

David (Sonny) Lacks Jr. (Then and Now) 3rd son ? And Joe Lacks 5th child now called Zakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman Lawrence Lack 1st born child

Clover, Virginia (Henrietta’s Home Town)

Hennie’s Home-Place and Burial Place in Clover

Day and all of Henrietta’s Children born here except Deborah

Can one person make a difference! This is a childhood picture of Deborah Lacks, age 13 (she is Henrietta’s youngest daughter). Henrietta got pregnant with her first daughter, Elsie, about this same age. Deborah was fending off her cousin Galen around this age.

Farming in Clover

Henrietta and day continued to farm the land Their slave ancestors had.

Henrietta married her cousin Day, who she had grown up with in Grandpa Tommy’s house Hennie said “Day would bring home Bad Blood and it would hurt to be with that man”.

“Bad Blood” = Syphilus

Syphilis Syphilis is caused by a spirilla bacterium. Before 1955 syphilis was treated with mercury. Today syphilis is treatable with penicillium.

“Bad Blood” = Gonorrhoeae Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium. Henrietta had acute Gonorrhea superimposed on radiation reaction!

The Worst “Bad Blood” of all, HPV (human pallinoma virus) which was unknown until 1970’s

HPV on the Cervix = Cervial Cancer

Land of opportunity ! Day, Henreitta and children move to Maryland Henrietta had never traveled far from home in Clover, Virginia. Above: Housing for workers at Sparrows Point, Maryland. Outbreak of WWII created jobs in Maryland’s shipyards especially Sparrows Point!

Work was dirty, hot, and Tiring but the pay was good (still less for black workers than white workers). All workers were being exposed to coal dust, asbestos, and other pollutants on a daily basis.

Why was enter Johns Hopkins like entering A foreign country for Henrietta Lacks?

John Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins Hospital Segregated Ward – Where Henrietta recovered from her first radium treatment and died 8 months later. Early Operation at Johns Hopkins

Elsie’s Fate- She was placed in Crownsville State Hospital, Baltimore, an institution for the insane because Henrietta was so weak she could not care for her. Elsie will die at Crownsville.

Henrietta told Margaret and Sadie (her cousins) “I got a knot inside me”

P Pathology – Biopsy –

Dysplasia – Carcinoma in situ -

Dr. Gey’s wife Margaret Gey (a operating room nurse) worked with Dr. Gey for 30 years trying to develop a human cell line in culture. Margaret’s Sterile Technique Made the Tissue lab a Success. Dr. George Gey – grew first human cell line in culture known as HeLa cells.

Sterile Technique and Culturing Cells (dark brown represents sterile nutrient agar) Use bleach to wipe down all surfaces. Remember bacteria travel on dust particles, slightly open petric dish lid. 2. Inoculate (heat) loop before applying cells. 4. Use standard streaking method to apply cells.

Sterile environment is a MUST in order not to contaminate cell cultures

Huge Medical Debate In 1951 Cervical Cancer was divided into 2 different types: 1. Carcinoma in situ (cancer in its original place) or non-invasive carcinoma. 2. Invasive carcinoma Doctors knew the invasive carcinoma was deadly so they treated it aggressively by hysteretomy. However, they believed wrongly that carcinoma in situ was nonlife threatening and didn’t wrong about it.

Carcinoma in situ Treatment #1- Radium Doctor Sews Brack Plaques (Radium) to the Cancer tumor Located on the cervix of patient. Radium

2nd Treatment for Carcinoma in situ Radiation

Invasive Carcinoma Treatment-Hysteretomy

PAP Smear (Preventive Care)

Cancer is Mitosis Gone Crazy HeLa Cell dividing

1. Why do cancer cells (tumors) need a large blood supply? Because body cells Continue to divide Uncontrollably, they Pile up and form a Tumor. 1. Why do cancer cells (tumors) need a large blood supply? 2. How do cancer cells move around in the body?

Mediatized Cancer Cells

Cancer Causing Mutations

Some viruses cause mutations resulting in Cancer For example, HPV!

Death of Henrietta Lacks Henrietta’s Death Certificate Notice cause of death????

Discoveries Aided By HeLa Cells Salk lab technicians working on ROLLER DRUMS containing tube cultures where polio virus was grown.

Aided in Making Polio Vaccine Iron Lung Used to Keep Polio Patients Breathing

Jonas Salk used Hela Cells to test the Effects of his polio Vaccine on human Cells.

Where would HeLa cells come into the picture?

Thanks to HeLa Cells!

Maybe there should be a stamp for Henrietta’s Contribution ?????

Hennie’s Family Dealing With News Deborah finally gets to see her Mothers immortal cells. Recognition for Henrietta makes her family proud.

Glossary Aneuploid – an abnormal number of chromosomes Aseptic – system that prevents infection by being free of microorganisms Biosynthesis – the formation of chemical compounds, derived from living organisms Centrifugation - an instrument that rotates at high speed to separate substances of different concentrations Continuous/Immortalised Cell Cultures – cells that are derived from transformed cells that are generally epithelial in origin Diploid – a cell with double number of chromosomes (total number of chromosomes in body cells) Growth Media – a liquid or gel designed to support the growth of microorganisms or cells Haploid – a cell with a complete set (half the number of a diploid cell) of chromosomes Heteroploid – a cell with an abnormal number of chromosomes In Vitro - where a procedure occurs within a controlled external environment rather than in the living organism Primary Cultures – cells that are derived directly from a host’s tissue or organ Sanitation – the process and application of measures to ensure the prevention of disease and contamination Subculture – a cell culture made by transferring cells from a previous culture to a fresh growth medium

Present Day 2013

Other Cell Lines

In this image, the ghost of Henrietta is metaphorically being 'drained', by doctors, as the intravenous tubes continue forward in an endless spiral of taking, taking, taking.

So What’s Next Would you like your hamburger Grown in a petric dish? Well you are looking at the first One above!!!!