Summary
Highlights
HeLa cells are an immortal human cell line that has been instrumental in understanding cancer, virology, and genetics. Scientists use these lab-grown cells to study various biological processes and test treatments.
Before 1951, all human cell lines died after a few days. George Gey, a John Hopkins scientist, received a tumor sample from Henrietta Lacks. Her cells surprisingly kept dividing indefinitely, becoming the first immortal human cell line, labeled 'HeLa' after her name. Henrietta herself died of aggressive cervical cancer shortly after her cells were taken and was never aware of their use.
Normal human cells self-destruct after about 50 divisions through apoptosis. Cancer cells ignore these signals and divide indefinitely, but even most cancer cell lines die outside the body. HeLa cells are exceptional in their indefinite survival, a phenomenon still not fully understood.
Once George Gey realized the significance of HeLa cells, he distributed them globally. A facility began producing trillions of HeLa cells weekly. These cells were used extensively in research, but this was done without Henrietta Lacks' or her family's consent or knowledge until decades later, raising significant ethical questions.
HeLa cells were crucial in developing the polio vaccine and have been used to study various diseases like measles, mumps, HIV, and Ebola. They helped discover the 46 human chromosomes and led to the first successful cell cloning. Telomerase, an enzyme important in cancer, was also discovered in HeLa cells. They even helped connect cervical cancer to HPV, leading to a vaccine.
HeLa cells are incredibly resilient, able to travel on almost any surface and contaminate other cell cultures, often taking over. Despite the ethical issues, countless cures, patents, and discoveries have been made thanks to Henrietta Lacks' cells.