HeLa

HeLa is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest human cell line and one of the most commonly used. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on 8 February, 1951, from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American mother of five, who died of cancer on 4 October 1951, and after whom they are named. The cell line is durable and prolific, allowing it to be used extensively in scientific study. The cells from Lacks's cancerous cervical tumor were taken without her knowledge, which was common practice in the United States at the time. Cell biologist George Otto Gey found that they could be kept alive, and developed a cell line. Previously, cells cultured from other human cells would survive for only a few days, but cells from Lacks's tumor behaved differently. History Origin In 1951, a woman named Henrietta Lacks was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with symptoms of irregular vaginal bleeding; she was subsequently treated for cervical cancer. Her first treatment was performed by Lawrence Wharton Jr., who at that time collected tissue samples from her cervix without her consent. Her cervical biopsy supplied samples of tissue for clinical evaluation and research by George Otto Gey, head of the Tissue Culture Laboratory. Gey's lab assistant Mary Kubicek used the roller-tube technique to culture the cells. It was observed that the cells grew robustly, doubling every 20–24 hours, unlike previous specimens, which died out.