What Are HeLa Cells?

History:

HeLa cells are immortal human cell lines derived from cervical cancer cells taken from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African American woman, in 1951. Henrietta Lacks was being treated for cervical cancer at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore when a tissue sample from her tumor was obtained without her knowledge or consent during surgery.

Discovery and Significance:

The cell lines were created without her consent by researcher George Otto Gey when, in an unprecedented event, the sample of her cervical cancer tissue remained alive and continued to grow in the lab when other samples would typically die. These cells were given the name HeLa (derived from the first two letters of her first and last names) and distributed among scientists worldwide.

Their significance lies in their exceptional ability to multiply rapidly and endlessly, making them essential for various scientific research, including studies on cancer, viruses, and toxicology. They have become ubiquitous in labs worldwide and have been instrumental in numerous critical advancements in medicine, cell biology, and biotechnology.

Contributions to Science:

Thanks to their continuous division, HeLa cells have been instrumental in:

* Developing vaccines, including the polio vaccine.

* Studying the effects of radiation and chemotherapy on cells.

* Understanding the mechanisms of cancer growth and metastasis.

* Testing the effectiveness of new drugs.

* Researching the molecular mechanisms underlying viral infections like HIV.

* Genetic mapping and genomics studies.

Controversy:

The use of HeLa cells without Henrietta Lacks' consent sparked ethical debates about informed consent and the rights of patients in medical research. Despite her crucial contribution to science, Henrietta Lacks lived a life marked by poverty and racial discrimination, and her family received neither compensation nor recognition for decades. In recent years, efforts have been made to rectify this by collaborating with the Lacks family and acknowledging their contribution.

HeLa cells continue to play a central role in biomedical research, and efforts are being made to ensure that ethical guidelines are followed, promoting informed consent and fair treatment of individuals in medical research endeavors.