The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

In 1951, a young tobacco farmer named Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer, but her cells refused to die with her. Those cells, known as HeLa, became the first immortal human cell line—reproducing infinitely in laboratories around the world and enabling breakthroughs from the polio vaccine to cancer research. This is the story of how one woman's unwitting contribution changed science forever, and the ethical questions that still haunt her legacy.

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This episode was published on May 25, 2026.

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