Roland A. Pattillo (June 12, 1933 – May 3, 2023) was an American medical doctor and researcher, who was noted for his involvement with the

HeLa HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta La ...

line of cells and his connection to the family of

Henrietta Lacks Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951) Note: Some sources report her birthday as August 2, 1920, vs. August 1, 1920. was an African-American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line ...

, from whom the cells were cultured.

Biography

Pattillo grew up in the 1930s in a segregated Louisiana town, the son of a blacksmith turned railroad worker. He graduated from

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as XULA) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Roman Catholic, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic HBCU ...

with a bachelor's degree, and received a scholarship to attend medical school at

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

, where he studied under

Edward Adelbert Doisy Edward Adelbert Doisy (November 13, 1893 – October 23, 1986) was an American biochemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943 with Henrik Dam for their discovery of vitamin K (K from "Koagulations-Vitamin" in German) an ...

and

George Gey George Otto Gey ( ; July 6, 1899 – November 8, 1970) was the cell biologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital who is credited with propagating the HeLa cell line from Henrietta Lacks' cervical tumor. He spent over 35 years developing numerous scientif ...

. He died on May 3, 2023, at the age of 89.

Career

Pattillo's career and research were driven by his experience of Henrietta Lacks' suffering. After her death, he purchased the headstone for her grave, and became close to her family, serving as an intermediary between them and the many researchers and journalists who wished to contact them. Pattillo became a practicing physician and professor of

gynecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

for the

Medical College of Wisconsin The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is a private medical school, pharmacy school, and graduate school of sciences headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school was established in 1893 and is the largest research center in eastern Wisconsin ...

. He later took over Gey's reproductive tract cell bank, moving it from Johns Hopkins to

Morehouse School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine is a private co-educational medical school in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally a part of Morehouse College, the school became independent in 1981. The school abbreviates its name with its initials "MSM." History Esta ...

. Pattillo served as the interim chair of the

OB/GYN Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...

department at Morehouse from 1996 to 1998, and began hosting a women's health conference there in honor of the Lacks family (the HeLa Conference). Pattillo has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and one book. His research and clinical studies focused on in-vitro cell models that possessed characteristic biomarkers that were then used in multiple experimental designs for assessment of endocrine function, chemotherapy, radiation therapy sensitivity, and differentiation. This research culminated in the first identification of the

trophoblast The trophoblast (from Greek : to feed; and : germinator) is the outer layer of cells of the blastocyst. Trophoblasts are present four days after fertilization in humans. They provide nutrients to the embryo and develop into a large part of the pl ...

stem cell and the first human hormone synthesizing cell system which scientists worldwide were able to use for new treatment for ovarian cancer. Pattillo retired from his position at Morehouse in 2013, after a career of 20 years at that school.

Awards

Over the course of his career, Pattillo has received several awards and recognitions: * 2003: Medallion of the International Trophoblast Society *

Leonard Tow Leonard Tow (born 1928) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the chairman and CEO of Citizens Communications (now Frontier Communications) and chairman of Electric Lightwave. He also co-founded Century Communications, which was s ...

Humanism in Medicine Award * Pioneer Award from the National Institute of Health for Frontiers in Stem Cell research * 2009: St. Louis University Diversity Award – Keynote Speaker * 2009: St. Louis University School of Medicine Merit Award * 2009: America's Top Doctor's List, ''Atlanta Magazine''

Legacy

In the 2017 movie, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'', he was played by

Ruben Santiago-Hudson Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born Ruben Santiago Jr., November 24, 1956) is an American actor, playwright, and director who has won national awards for his work in all three categories. He is best known for his role of Captain Roy Montgomery from 2009 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pattillo, Roland 1933 births 2023 deaths Physicians from Wisconsin 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics 21st-century American physicians 21st-century African-American physicians 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics 20th-century American physicians 20th-century African-American physicians American gynecologists