Family of Henrietta Lacks wins lawsuit for cell use

BALTIMORE, Mary. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The family of Henrietta Lacks is celebrating her 103rd birthday with a major legal win.

Lacks' cervical cancer tissue was taken without her knowledge while she was being treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951.

Lacks later died, but her cells, known as Hela Cells, would become the first human cells to be successfully cloned, and go on to be used in countless scientific and medical innovations.

This new settlement, reached Monday night, does not involve Johns Hopkins. Rather, the biotech company Thermo Fisher Scientific, who the Lacks family said has continued to commercialize the results of the hela cell well after its origins became well-known.

Confidential settlement

The terms of the settlement remain confidential.

However, attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Lacks family, said the parties are pleased that they were able to find a way to resolve this matter outside of court.

"Black women have done so much to help build America, to help build the world, to help progress. Henrietta Lacks' story is one that must be taught to every student, black, white, brown...all student should know the story of Henrietta Lacks. Little boys and especially little girls. Black history is American history. Henrietta Lacks is American history. This Black woman gave so much to the world. It's good to give her a present back on her birthday," Crump remarked.

Johns Hopkins said it never sold or profited from the cell lines of Lacks, but many companies have patented ways of using them.