Henrietta Lacks: science must right a historical wrong
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A frequently cited reason for underrepresentation of certain minority ethnic groups in clinical trials is pervasive mistrust in the healthcare system, often attributed to historical instances of mistreatment and exploitation.
“A frequently cited reason for the underrepresentation of certain minority ethnic groups in clinical trials is a pervasive mistrust in the healthcare system. This is often attributed to historical instances of mistreatment and exploitation.”
From Enablers and barriers of clinical trial participation in adult patients from minority ethnic groups: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [13]
The Tuskegee Syphilis study and the Henrietta Lacks incident are examples of unethical and exploitative research.
“Two infamous examples of such unethical and exploitative research are often quoted: the Tuskegee Syphilis study, in which Black men were intentionally denied treatment for syphilis; and the Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) incident, where the patient’s cancer cells were provided to researchers unbeknownst to her.”
From Enablers and barriers of clinical trial participation in adult patients from minority ethnic groups: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [13]
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- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2020-09-01
- Volume
- 585
- Issue
- 7823
- Pages
- 7-7
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W4245935359
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 2
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics in Clinical Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics and bioethics in healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Biomedical Ethics and Regulation
- Keywords
- Henrietta Lacks, HeLa cells, informed consent, research ethics, historical wrongs, centenary, human cell lines, medical ethics
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anniversaries and Special Events, Black or African American, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms, Female, HeLa Cells, Humans, Informed Consent, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Research Personnel, Social Justice, United States, Biomedical Research, History, 20th Century, Social Marginalization, Racism
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