Henrietta Lacks' Family Settles Lawsuit Over Immortal Cells

Thermo Fisher Scientific has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the estate of Henrietta Lacks, whose "immortal" cells, known as the HeLa cell line, have been used in biomedical research for decades. Lacks' cells were taken without her consent during a medical procedure in 1951 and have since been cultivated in vast quantities for various medical studies. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The lawsuit accused Thermo Fisher of unjust enrichment by commercializing Lacks' genetic material. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the settlement.