The Importance of HeLa Cells in Scientific Research

Introduction

Purpose of Human Cell Growth in Labs
- Study cell functions
- Understand disease development
- Test new treatments safely
Challenges Before 1951
- Human cell lines died after a few days

George Gey and Henrietta Lacks
- George Gey, a scientist at Johns Hopkins, received a unique tumor sample from Henrietta Lacks
- Tumor cells were dark purple, shiny, jelly-like
- Cells kept dividing indefinitely
- Resulted in the first immortal human cell line
- Named 'HeLa' after Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks
- Born on a tobacco farm in Virginia
- Lived in Baltimore with her husband and five children
- Died of aggressive cervical cancer

Unique Properties
- Immortal cell line
- Indefinite division, unlike other cells
- Avoids apoptosis (cell self-destruction)
- We don’t entirely understand why

Distribution of HeLa Cells
- Sent to labs worldwide by Dr. Gey
- Establishment of the first cell production facility
Uses in Research
- Testing Jonas Salk's polio vaccine
- Studying various diseases: measles, mumps, HIV, ebola
- Discovery of human chromosome count (46)
- HeLa's own chromosome count: ~80 highly mutated
- First human cells to be cloned
- Sent to outer space
- Discovery of Telomerase enzyme
Ethical Issues
- Henrietta Lacks and her family were not aware or consented
- Samples used without their knowledge

Disease Research and Vaccines
- HPV virus linked to cervical cancer discovered through HeLa
- HPV vaccine development
Scientific Publications
- Thousands of papers and discoveries