Yaleska Cortorreal

Division of Humanities and the Arts

ENGL 21003: Writing for the Sciences

Professor Debra Williams

September 25th, 2024

Image generated by A.I.

Who would’ve known that in 1951, Henrietta Lacks cervical cancer cells were going to change the world? The first immortal cells were involved in experiments like cancer treatments, HIV/AIDS research, gene research, vaccine development, and space research! In this paper, I will discuss the importance of Henrietta Lacks cells (“HeLa cells,” named after her) in spacecraft. Despite that, I will also talk about the story of HeLa cells and the questions about racism and consent. By understanding the history of HeLa cells, we can better understand the medical ethical considerations.

At the age of 31, Henrietta went to the Johns Hopkins Hospital for severe pain that was caused by a tumor in her cervix. During her treatment, doctors took a sample of her cancerous cells without her or her family’s knowledge or consent, which was a common occurrence among African Americans.  African Americans had a lot of disadvantages in healthcare; whether you were the patient or scientist, they were frequently disregarded or discounted. Today, many don’t trust the medical industry because these stories are passed down and taught, and many are afraid. 

The HeLa cells became impactful in the scientific community due to their unique ability to replicate indefinitely in laboratory conditions. In a New York Times article it says, “Her doctor removed some of her cancer cells before her death and discovered they could reproduce on their own in petri dishes, making them “immortal.” Since then, researchers have produced over 20 tons of those cells — called “HeLa cells” after her name” (Harmon). Unlike these human cells, they die after a certain number of divisions. Since the HeLa cells can divide and grow continuously, researchers can do plenty of experiments using her cells. This takes us to the central question of this paper. What is the importance of HeLa cells in spacecraft?

The HeLa cells played an essential role in spacecraft. Scientists wanted to understand how human cells would react to the absence of air, extreme temperature, radiation exposure, and, in smaller words, space. The article Study of Hazards and fail-safe Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power discusses the moment HeLa cells became impactful and related to spacecraft. “Investigation of specimens exposed to space flight factors on Vostok 3 showed that the number of bacteriophage-producing cells found after the craft landed exceeded the spontaneous level of bacteriophage production 4.6-fold (degree of significance with this difference: 0.2 percent)” (NASA). The Vostok spacecraft experiment was done from E. Coli K-12, Fibroblasts, amnion, and Hela cells. E. coli K-12, also known as Escherichia coli, has found extensive application in scientific study. K-12 is a “lab-friendly” strain that is considered safe for laboratories since it does not release toxins. Fibroblast is found in your body, a cell type crucial for tissue repair and healing. Think about them as the “construction workers” of your body’s tissues. Amnion is a thin protective membrane surrounding the mother’s womb during pregnancy, specifically during her embryonic period (3-8 weeks). As mentioned before, E. coli K-12, Fibroblasts, and Amnion are human cells except for the HeLa, a cancerous cell. 

It was demonstrated that the lysogenic bacteria’s genetic system could be triggered entirely in the direction of developing infectious bacteriophage cells by exposing them to small doses of gamma rays with an energy ranging from 126-660 Mev, protons, or rapid neutrons with a power ranging from 0.1-100 Kev. It’s essential to know the meaning of lysogenic and bacteriophage. Lysogenic is a process where viruses enter a cell and make more viruses by staying in the cell until something triggers it to create new viruses. Bacteriophage, also known as phage, is a virus that infects bacteria, injects general material into it, and can take over the bacteria to make more viruses or hide in the cell.  On the first Vostok flight, it was confirmed that the cells used did not have a different outcome from exposure to radiation on Earth and in space. Officially, once using the HeLa cells on Vostok 4 and Vostok 6, there was a discovery that there was a longer inactive time frame for the recovery of growth capacity in cultures of human HeLa cells exposed to space flight factors on Vostok 4 and 6 than in cells that were left in laboratory condition and previously carried into space. What “longer inactive time frame for recovery” refers to the fact that spaceflight conditions, like radiation exposure, caused stress on the cells, which delayed the time for the cells to begin growing again compared to Earth-based cells. 

HeLa cells have been used to investigate how radiation affects human cells when they were launched into space. This study is an element of a larger effort to comprehend the biological impact of space travel on humans, a key element of long-term space exploration in the future. Though this is an important step forward in science, it also maintains the practice of using Henrietta Lack’s cells in significant, new studies without consulting or including her family.  The Hela cells helped researchers develop science and Medicine. Her story shows the important impact that Henrietta Lacks has made to the world of science.  

But the story of Henrietta Lacks has become a powerful representation of what should be done today.  The necessity of contest is the number 1, and the respect and acknowledgement to everyone and especially to the Black and African American community. Her influence on science and morality is still felt today by many people. Especially knowing the great impact, she has made and knowing the impact has changed the world. Today there is consent, and studies like these inform those who don’t know and should know. Henrietta Lack’s legacy is a constant reminder that respect for people and their rights must be balanced with the pursuit of knowledge as we go further into science and space. 

Work cited:

NASA. (1964). Study of hazards and fail-safe systems for nuclear auxiliary power. NASA Technical Reports Server. https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19650002618/page/n3/mode/2up

Kahn, M. (2021, May 24). HeLa cells: The legacy and misappropriation of Henrietta Lacks [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSx4XN6-YBY

Focus. (2015). HeLa cells: Immortal space travellers. Space Safety Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Focus%20-%20HeLa%20Cells,%20Immortal%20Space%20Travelellers.pdf

Harmon, A. (2017, April 21). Should you worry about being the next Henrietta Lacks? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/well/should-you-worry-about-being-the-next-henrietta-lacks.html