Investigating George Gey: The Physician behind HeLa Cells

Firstly, a tribute to Henrietta Lacks:

It would not be right for me to present on George Gey without first giving honor where honor is due… 

Henrietta Lacks a young mother of five, ventured into The John Hopkins Hospital with complaints of vaginal bleeding. After the discovery of a large, malignant tumor on her cervix, she began radium treatments for her cervical cancer. At the time of her disease, this was the best treatment available. A sample of cells was unknowingly taken from Henrietta’s cervix and sent to Dr. George Gey, a cancer and virus researcher who had previously had no luck with other cancer cell biopsies… until he took a look at Henrietta’s cells under the microscope. 

George Gey:

For 8 years, George Gey was in and out of medical school due to the lack of funds to complete his program. After finally graduating with his medical degree, he immediately began his 37-year teaching career at John Hopkins Medical School. Year after year and trial after trial, him and his lab assistant would contain cells, isolate them, and unfortunately watch them die. This was all until he met the cervical cells of Henrietta Lacks. It is reported that his lab assistant was close to giving up and at the possession of Henrietta’s cells the lab assistant did not even want to plate them because she was sure they would turn out like the rest- dead. To their surprise, these cells grew and even in the absence of a glass surface, meaning that they essentially had no space limit. 

Soon, the HeLa cells were being shared with scientists all over the world, with George Gey taking some credit for the discovery. While George Gey is recorded as keeping Henrietta’s name and family out of the matter- not even sharing her identification or where the cells had originated- the discussion still lives: were his actions okay? 

It is recorded that Gey never made any profit from the cells; however he claimed credit for their use in research. 

-Henrietta Lacks’ family today:

In October, on the 70th anniversary of the taking of her cells, her family decided to fight back. The family members say they have not received any profit from the research and use of Lacks' cells. They say they believe the time is now to be compensated and they are aware they will have to fight as many as 100 defendants, the first being Thermo Fisher. Thermo Fisher currently sells the HeLa cells on their website. 

‘"Thermo Fisher Scientific's business is to commercialize Henrietta Lacks' cells—her-living bodily tissue—without the consent of or providing compensation to Ms. Lacks" the lawsuit states. "All the while, Thermo Fisher Scientific understands—indeed, acknowledges on its own website—that this genetic material [is] stolen from Ms. Lacks."

The lawsuit is also asking the court to order Thermo Fisher Scientific to "disgorge the full amount of its net profits obtained by commercializing the HeLa cell line to the Estate of Henrietta Lacks."’The company earns close to $35 billion in revenue each year.

Henrietta’s daughter-in-law started this investigation in 1973 and made a promise to her family that she would not let the name of her mother-in-law go without mention. Since then, Henrietta’s daughter-in-law has declined in health; however, her passion and fight for justice has since encouraged her son, Ron Lacks, to also fight for justice. 

Ron Lacks, Henrietta’s grandson, states the following:

“"Every time I walk into my mother's room, she gives me strength because I know I'm doing it for her. She started this in 1973. She started this, so when I walk into her room and feed her, change her, I know I'm doing this for her. When you are fighting for your family, you come off with all guns blazing, you don't stop until you succeed or they knock me down," he added.

During the October 2021 trial, WHO acknowledged the importance of reckoning with past scientific injustices, and advancing racial equity in health and science. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD said, “It’s also an opportunity to recognize women -- particularly women of color -- who have made incredible but often unseen contributions to medical science.”

-Similar situations: 

According to Cancer Today, “Consent is still not required for much of tissue research. If a researcher takes tissues specifically for research and the “donor’s” name is attached, federal law requires informed consent. But if the tissue is taken for some other purpose—a routine biopsy or a fetal blood test—as long as the patient’s identity is removed from the sample, consent isn’t required.”

With this insert in mind, if big companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific were required to give profit to the family of Henrietta Lacks, then would every patient who has undergone a biopsy and as a result had their cells used in research also be expectant of profit? Where is the line drawn?

-HeLa today: what has it done? 

HeLa has contributed to multiple medical breakthroughs throughout the years. Some of which including the following:

1950s: 

1953: Laying the groundwork for the Polio Vaccine 

1956: Understanding the effects of x-rays on human cells 

1956: developing cancer research methods 

1960s:

1964: Going to outer space

1964: Shedding light on treatments for blood disorder 

1970s:

1973: Determining how Salmonella causes infection 

1980s:

1985: Making strides against cervical cancer

1985: Slowing cancer growth 

1988: Advancing understanding of HIV infection 

1989: Learning how cells age 

1990s: 

1993: Exploring how tuberculosis makes people sick 

2000s:

2001: Innovating single cell imaging 

2001: Understanding the infectivity of Ebola and HIV

2010s: 

2010: Repurposing Thalidomide to fight cancer 

 

 

Discussion questions: 

1. Do the benefits of the HeLa cells outweigh their unfortunate come about? 

2. How should the Lacks family be repaid? 

3. How do we know situations like Lack’s are not happening today? 

 

Potential exam questions: 

1. True or False: George Gey received profit from HeLa cells. 

2. Where were Henrietta’s cells taken from (part of body and what hospital)? 

3. How much profit has Thermo Fisher Scientific made off of HeLa cells total? 

 

Answers: 

1. False. 

2. Cervix; John Hopkins. 

3. $35 billion annually.