The creation and commercialization of the HeLa cell line generated major bioethical and legal controversies because Henrietta Lacks's cervical cancer cells were harvested in 1951 without her knowledge or consent. At the time, no laws or guidelines governed informed consent, but by modern standards, harvesting tissues or organs from a dying patient without permission is considered both unethical and illegal. This case raises ongoing ethical debates, including whether the immense scientific and medical benefits of HeLa cells justify the non-consensual means of their procurement, whether it is ethical to continue using these cells for research today, and whether her family—who remained unaware of the cell line for twenty years and received no compensation until a 2023 settlement—should benefit from commercial products developed from her body.