Why are HeLa cells so widely used for cell culture?
Why are HeLa cells so widely used for cell culture? HeLa cells have been used in testing how parvo virus infects cells of humans, dogs, and cats. These cells have also been used to study viruses such as the oropouche virus (OROV). OROV causes the disruption of cells in culture, where cells begin to degenerate shortly after they are infected, causing viral induction of apoptosis.
What are HeLa cells and how were they first obtained?
What are HeLa cells and how were they first obtained? HeLa cells are the first immortal human cells. These cells came from Henrietta Lacks’ cervix before she died. 2) Why are HeLa cells unusual? HeLa cells “reproduce an entire generation every 24 hours.” These cells have been around for many years.
Are HeLa cells human cells or different species?
HeLa cells are the first immortal human cell line. The cell line grew from a sample of cervical cancer cells taken from an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks on February 8, 1951. The lab assistant responsible for the samples named cultures based on the first two letters of a patient's first and last name, thus the culture was dubbed HeLa.
How are HeLa cells used all over the world?
HeLa cells were used to help develop the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization and have been used for research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation, tuberculosis and countless other scientific pursuits. At that time, doctors were given implicit license to conduct unethical studies on unsuspecting African-Americans.
What makes HeLa cells different from other cells?
HeLa cells, like many tumours, have error-filled genomes, with one or more copies of many chromosomes: a normal cell contains 46 chromosomes whereas HeLa cells contain 76 to 80 (ref) total chromosomes, some of which are heavily mutated (22-25), per cell.
Are HeLa cells the only immortal cells?
HeLa cells are not the only immortal cell line from human cells, but they were the first. Today new immortal cell lines can either be discovered by chance, as Lacks's were, or produced through genetic engineering.
What all did HeLa cells cure?
Since being discovered in the 1950s, experiments on HeLa cells have played a role in developing advances like the polio and COVID-19 vaccines, treatments for cancer, HIV, AIDS, and much more. About 55 million tons of these cells have been used in over 75,000 scientific studies around the world.
What made Henrietta Lacks cells so special?
Why are her cells so important? Henrietta's cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown in culture. They were essential to developing the polio vaccine. They went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to cells in zero gravity.
Are there other immortal cell lines?
There are various immortal cell lines. Some of them are normal cell lines (e.g. derived from stem cells). Other immortalised cell lines are the in vitro equivalent of cancerous cells.
Which cell is immortal in human body?
The zygote does serve as the first cell of the next generation hence the germ cells are considered as immortal cells. The cells of the pituitary and the brain cells are considered as somatic cells as they undergo cell death and die in due course. Hence, the correct answer is option (A).
How many HeLa cells exist?
There's no way of knowing exactly how many of Henrietta's cells are alive today. One scientist estimates that if you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons — an inconceivable number, given that an individual cell weighs almost nothing.
What makes a cell line immortal?
Immortalized cell lines are cells that have been manipulated to proliferate indefinitely and can thus be cultured for long periods of time (Table 13.1). Immortalized cell lines are derived from a variety of sources that have chromosomal abnormalities or mutations that permit them to continually divide, such as tumors.
Why are HeLa cells important?
The Importance of HeLa Cells. Among the important scientific discoveries of the last century was the first immortal human cell line known as “HeLa” — a remarkably durable and prolific line of cells obtained during the treatment of Henrietta’s cancer by Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. George Gey in 1951.
What is the HeLa cell line?
Over the past several decades, this cell line has contributed to many medical breakthroughs, from research on the effects of zero gravity in outer space and the development of the polio vaccine, to the study of leukemia, the AIDS virus and cancer worldwide.
Does Johns Hopkins own HeLa cells?
Although these were the first cells that could be easily shared and multiplied in a lab setting, Johns Hopkins has never sold or profited from the discovery or distribution of HeLa cells and does not own the rights to the HeLa cell line. Rather, Johns Hopkins offered HeLa cells freely and widely for scientific research.
Why are HeLa cells important?
HeLa cells have been used to study the expression of the papillomavirus E2 and apoptosis. HeLa cells have also been used to study canine distemper virus' ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines, which could play an important role in developing treatments for tumor cells resistant to radiation and chemotherapy.
Why are HeLa cells used in cancer research?
The HeLa cell line was derived for use in cancer research. These cells proliferate abnormally rapidly, even compared to other cancer cells. Like many other cancer cells, HeLa cells have an active version of telomerase during cell division, which copies telomeres over and over again.
What is the oldest cell line?
HeLa ( / ˈhiːlɑː /; also Hela or hela) is an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is named after and derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American mother of five, who died of cancer on October 4, 1951.
How many times can HeLa cells divide?
HeLa cells, like other cell lines, are termed " immortal " in that they can divide an unlimited number of times in a laboratory cell culture plate as long as fundamental cell survival conditions are met (i.e. being maintained and sustained in a suitable environment).
What is a Hela microscope?
Nikon RTS2000MP custom laser scanning microscope. HeLa ( / ˈhiːlɑː /; also Hela or hela) is an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is named after and derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American mother ...
What is the HeLa cell line named after?
Before a leak to the public in the 1970s which revealed her true name, the "HeLa" cell line was mistakenly believed to have been named after a "Helen Lane" or "Helen Larson".
When were HeLa cells used?
HeLa cells were used by Jonas Salk to test the first polio vaccine in the 1950s. They were observed to be easily infected by poliomyelitis, causing infected cells to die. This made HeLa cells highly desirable for polio vaccine testing since results could be easily obtained. A large volume of HeLa cells were needed for the testing of Salk's polio vaccine, prompting the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) to find a facility capable of mass-producing HeLa cells. In the spring of 1953, a cell culture factory was established at Tuskegee University to supply Salk and other labs with HeLa cells. Less than a year later, Salk's vaccine was ready for human trials.
What are HeLa cells used for?
HeLa cells, named after their original donor Henrietta Lacks, represent the most widely-used human cell line in the field of biological research. The cervical cells of a dying woman were kept alive (without consent) as ‘immortal’ cells in 1951 and fueled research into polio vaccination and isolation of the human immunodeficiency virus. They are still used today. Ethical issues behind the removal of tissues for research have only recently been approached; today, no medical professional may take or use tissue biopsies without the owner’s full, informed consent.
How did HeLa cell cancer research help us?
HeLa cell cancer research first asked scientists to make non-cancerous cells immortal. This has helped us to understand the mechanisms – such as the TERT gene mutation – that make cancer cells grow. Once the fundamentals of cancer gene variants are understood and we know more of the individual mechanisms, the next step is to make immortal cells die.
Why Are HeLa Cells Immortal?
HeLa cells represent an immortalized cell line. As the definition of a cancer cell is a cell that, due to mutations in its DNA, does not die but continues to divide , only cancer cells provide scientists with immortalized cell lines. The HeLa cell definition, therefore, is a long line of cancer cells that grow outside of the body (in a laboratory) originating from tissue from Henrietta Lacks.
Why do immortal cells add to their telomeres?
This may be because the gene for telomerase production and activity remains switched on – the TERT and TERC genes are expressed in a mutated cancer cell. This very rarely occurs in normal cells and only for short periods.
How many chromosomes are in HeLa cells?
HeLa cells contain between 76 to 80 chromosomes rather than 46. This is the result of the human papillomavirus that eventually killed Henrietta Lacks. Most viruses insert their own DNA into infected cells. This DNA produces a protein that stops DNA repair mechanisms.
What would happen if Henrietta's biopsy had healthy cells?
If healthy cells had been removed in Henrietta’s biopsy, they would have undergone controlled cell death at some point. Our cells are programmed as to how long they live. Cancer cells, however, are mutated cells that no longer respond to cell cycle regulation. They divide continuously. HeLa cells were the first immortal cell lines and have helped us to discover cures and treatments for many diseases.
How can genetic engineering create immortal cells?
By manipulating the genes that control cell death ( apoptosis) and mitotic division , scientists can produce immortal cell lines from healthy cells. Researchers have already developed a line of near immortal stem cells (BEL-A cells) that form red blood cells when activated. These may eventually replace the need for blood donation – especially for rare blood types. Translating this technology to mass production is not yet possible. Furthermore, this is an artificial continuous but not immortal line. BEL-A cells eventually die off.
What is HeLa cell?
HeLa cells refer to a line of cells belonging to a strain that has been continuously cultured since 1951. Compared to other human cells, HeLa cells were (and still are) the only cells to survive in vitro. As such, they are often regarded as the first (and thus far, only) immortal human cells ever cultured.
What is the history of HeLa cells?
Brief History of the HeLa Cell. In 1951, a 31-year-old African-American woman by the name of Henrietta Lacks was brought to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore regarding a lump in her abdomen. The diagnosis revealed that Lacks was suffering from an aggressive type of cancer (adenocarcinoma of the cervix or adenoepidermoid tumor) ...
Why do HeLa cells divide?
As "immortal cells" the HeLa cells divide repeatedly which has allowed researchers to cultivate them for the past 6 decades. This aspect of the cells has been attributed to the expression of overactive telomerase allowing for the rebuilding of telomeres in each division.
How many chromosomes are in a HeLa cell?
Compared to the normal cell with 46 chromosomes, chromosome copies of the cell (HeLa) was shown to contain between 76 and 80 chromosomes with a good number of these being highly mutated. According to recent studies, HeLa cells were shown to contain DNA of the HPV virus (Human Papillomavirus).
Why are HeLa cells considered weed?
* HeLa cells have been referred to as laboratory weed in some spheres because of their persistent contamination of other cell lines.
How fast do HeLa cells grow?
In addition, they have proven easy to grow which in addition to their rapid growth (double in a 24 hour period), has made them ideal for large scale research studies.
Why are HeLa cells so fast growing?
* The unusual fast growth of HeLa cells has been attributed to the fact that Lacks had syphilis and HPV.
What is a HeLa cell?
The HeLa cell line is a human cancer continuous cell line. It was the first human continuous cell line to be cultured in-vitro.
Why do scientists use HeLa cells?
Biologists tend to use HeLa cells as the ‘default’ human cell line because they are so easy to work with –they reproduce rapidly, easily and cheaply. Despite being cancerous, HeLa cells still share many basic characteristics with normal cells – they produce proteins, express and regulate genes, communicate with one another, and are susceptible to infections. It is thus possible for scientists to use HeLa cells to study not only cancer, but also basic functions carried out by all human cells. The genome sequence should make genetic studies using HeLa even more effective.
Why do HeLa cells grow so fast?
HeLa cells grow rapidly given the right medium (nutrients and conditions) and space. This is because HeLa cells are cancer cells, which multiply and grow quickly in an uncontrolled way compared to normal cells. They can also spread and infect other cells. HeLa cells became cancerous due to infection with human papilloma virus 18 (HPV18). Cervical cancer is very closely associated with HPV 16 and HPV18, which can disrupt the normal activity of the cell to make cells become cancerous. However, not every woman that contracts one of these viruses will develop cervical cancer.
What are the abnormalities in HeLa cells?
The scientists’ analysis of the HeLa genome revealed widespread abnormalities in both the number and structure of chromosomes, as well as factors commonly associated with cancer cells like losing healthy copies of genes. In particular, the researchers found that countless regions of the chromosomes in each cell were arranged in the wrong order and had extra or fewer copies of genes. This is a telltale sign of chromosome shattering, a recently discovered phenomenon associated with 2-3% of all cancers. Knowledge of the genetic landscape of these cells can inform the design of future studies using HeLa cells, and strengthen the biological conclusions that can be made from them.
What substances can induce apoptosis in HeLa cells?
Researchers have now experimentally demonstrated some substances which can induce apoptosis in HeLa cells e.g. UV radiation, hydrogen peroxide etc. These may be put to anti-cancer use.
What happened after HeLa?
After HeLa, many other continuous cell lines have been developed. But the HeLa research continues.
Can HeLa cells be killed?
In contrast, HeLa cells are like kudzu. They grow fast and seem almost impossible to kill. They’ll even survive being exposed and drying out on a work surface or used pipet, to such an extent that they’re notorious for contaminating and taking over other cell lines that are used in the same laboratory. Careful lab workers have learned to treat HeLa cells like a combination of Hannibal Lecter and the xenomorphs from Alien: absolute isolation, no contact. If possible, have a separate incubator and hood for them that are used for no other cell lines.
1. Polio eradication
Jonas Salk had developed a polio vaccine in the early 1950’s but was struggling to find a way to test it in field trials as traditionally used rhesus monkey cells were too expensive for such a large-scale study. In 1952, HeLa cells were found to be both susceptible to, but not killed by polio, making them an ideal source of host cells.
2. Improved cell culture practices
During the mass production and distribution of HeLa cells for polio vaccine testing at Tuskegee University, lead researchers Brown and Henderson pioneered new cell culture protocols, such as the use of rubber-lined screw-capped bottles and tubes and strict QC measures.
3. Chromosome counting
Rebecca Skloot describes in her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, how a lab mix up in Texas in 1953 accidentally enabled researchers to see and count each chromosome clearly in the HeLa cells they were working with.
4. Genome mapping
Harris and Watkins created the first human-animal hybrids in 1965, by fusing HeLa cells with mouse cells. Despite the fears and uncertainties from the general public at the time, this accomplishment enabled great advances in mapping genes to specific chromosomes, and in later years, the Human Genome Project.
5. Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines
In the 1980’s, Henrietta’s cells were found to contain HPV-18 by Harald zur Hausen, who later went on to win a Nobel Prize for his discovery linking HPV and cervical cancer.
Why are HeLa cells important?
HeLa cells have been used to better understand the processes behind cell growth, differentiation, and death, to try to help researchers understand a range of diseases. They’ve also helped serve as the foundation for developing modern vaccines, and been used to develop medical techniques like in vitro fertilization, the NIH says. “HeLa cells even contributed to the HPV vaccine,” Jessica Shepherd, MD, a women’s health expert and ob-gyn in Texas, tells Health . “They helped us understand HPV and its cancer-causing cells. That was incredible as far as what we were able to do.”
Why are HeLa cells used in labs?
Because HeLa cells could be grown continuously in labs, researchers started to rely heavily on them for their experiments , according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). HeLa cells became the go-to human cell line for scientists working laboratories. By now, it's no longer the only immortalized cell line, but it’s still the most widely used cell line in biomedical research, showing up in more than 110,000 scientific publications, the NIH says.
What happened to the HeLa genome?
In 2013, a team of German scientists sequenced the genome of a HeLa cell line and published the data which, the NIH points out, had the potential to reveal private information about Lacks’s descendants, including their risks of different diseases. The Lacks family, along with scientists and bioethicists, protested against that information being released, and the sequence was removed from the public domain. Later that year, the NIH reached an agreement with Lacks’ descendants that allowed biomedical researchers controlled access to the whole genome data of HeLa cells, as long as the Lacks family was able to first review applications for the use of the data. That agreement, however, did not include any sort of financial compensation.
What are Henrietta Lacks cells used for?
And Lacks’ cells haven’t just been used in research—they’re also used to train scientists . “I can’t tell you the number of scientists I personally know who have worked with Henrietta Lacks’ cells,” Dr. Woitowich says. “She has also contributed to the education and training of thousands of scientists in this country.
What was the first cell to grow outside of the human body?
From there, Lacks's cells —dubbed HeLa cells by scientists to disguise their origin—became the first cells to grow outside of the human body in culture, and would go on to become the "most prolific and widely used human cell line in biology," according to The New York Times; all of this was without Lacks's family's informed consent. In fact, the world only came to know about her contribution to medicine in the 1971, after Dr. Gey's colleagues published an article in a medical journal with Lacks's name in it—and two years later, per the Times, Lacks's own family learned of her contributions after one of Lacks's daughters-in-law had dinner with a friend whose husband was a cancer researcher.
Is HeLa a human cell?
HeLa cells became the go-to human cell line for scientists working laboratories. By now, it's no longer the only immortalized cell line, but it’s still the most widely used cell line in biomedical research, showing up in more than 110,000 scientific publications, the NIH says.
Is Lacks cell commercialized?
Woitowich says. “Her cells were widely shared and then became commercialized and are still sold to date.
What It Means to Be Immortal
Disadvantages of Using Hela Cells
- While the HeLa cell line has led to amazing scientific breakthroughs, the cells can also cause problems. The most significant issue with HeLa cells is how aggressively they can contaminate other cell cultures in a laboratory. Scientists don't routinely test the purity of their cell lines, so HeLa had contaminated many in vitrolines (estimated 10 to 20 percent) before the problem was …
Issues of Consent and Privacy
- The birth of the new field of biotechnology introduced ethical considerations. Some modern laws and policies arose from ongoing issues surrounding HeLa cells. As was the norm at the time, Henrietta Lacks was not informed her cancer cells were going to be used for research. Years after the HeLa line had become popular, scientists took samples from other members of the Lacks fa…
References and Suggested Reading
- Capes-Davis A, Theodosopoulos G, Atkin I, Drexler HG, Kohara A, MacLeod RA, Masters JR, Nakamura Y, Reid YA, Reddel RR, Freshney RI (2010). "Check your cultures! A list of cross-contaminated or mis...
- Masters, John R. (2002). "HeLa cells 50 years on: The good, the bad and the ugly". Nature Reviews Cancer. 2(4): 315–319.
- Capes-Davis A, Theodosopoulos G, Atkin I, Drexler HG, Kohara A, MacLeod RA, Masters JR, Nakamura Y, Reid YA, Reddel RR, Freshney RI (2010). "Check your cultures! A list of cross-contaminated or mis...
- Masters, John R. (2002). "HeLa cells 50 years on: The good, the bad and the ugly". Nature Reviews Cancer. 2(4): 315–319.
- Scherer, William F.; Syverton, Jerome T.; Gey, George O. (1953). "Studies on the Propagation in Vitro of Poliomyelitis Viruses". J Exp Med (published May 1, 1953). 97 (5): 695–710.
- Skloot, Rebecca (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown/Random House.
Overview
HeLa is an immortal 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 Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American mother of five, who died of cancer on October 4, 1951. The cell line was found to be remarkably durable and prolific, which allows it to be used ext…
History
In 1951, a patient named Henrietta Lacks was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with symptoms of irregular vaginal bleeding, and was subsequently treated for cervical cancer. Her first treatment was performed by Lawrence Wharton Jr., who at this time collected tissue samples from her cervix without her consent. Her cervical biopsy supplied samples of tissue for clinical evaluat…
Use in research
HeLa cells were the first human cells to be successfully cloned in 1953 by Theodore Puck and Philip I. Marcus at the University of Colorado, Denver. Since that time, HeLa cells have "continually been used for research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits." According to author Rebecca Skloot, by 2009, "more than 60,000 scientific articles had been published about research done on HeLa, and that …
Analysis
The HeLa cell line was derived for use in cancer research. These cells proliferate abnormally rapidly, even compared to other cancer cells. Like many other cancer cells, HeLa cells have an active version of telomerase during cell division, which copies telomeres over and over again. This prevents the incremental shortening of telomeres that is implicated in aging and eventual cell death. In this way, the cells circumvent the Hayflick limit, which is the limited number of cell divis…
Contamination
HeLa cells are sometimes difficult to control because of their adaptation to growth in tissue culture plates and ability to invade and outcompete other cell lines. Through improper maintenance, they have been known to contaminate other cell cultures in the same laboratory, interfering with biological research and forcing researchers to declare many results invalid. The degree of HeLa cell contamination among other cell types is unknown because few researchers …
New species proposal
HeLa was described by evolutionary biologist Leigh Van Valen as an example of the contemporary creation of a new species, dubbed Helacyton gartleri, due to their ability to replicate indefinitely, and their non-human number of chromosomes. The species was named after geneticist Stanley M. Gartler, whom van Valen credits with discovering "the remarkable success of this species". His argument for speciation depends on these points:
Gallery
• Multiphoton fluorescence image of HeLa cells stained with the actin binding toxin phalloidin (red), microtubules (cyan) and cell nuclei (blue). Nikon RTS2000MP custom laser scanning microscope.
• Multiphoton fluorescence image of HeLa cells with cytoskeletal microtubules (magenta) and DNA (cyan). Nikon RTS2000MP custom laser scanning microscope.
In media
The 1997 documentary The Way of All Flesh by Adam Curtis explains the history of HeLa and its implications in medicine and society.
HeLa was the subject of a 2010 book by Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, investigating the historical context of the cell line and how the Lacks family was involved in its use. A 2017 HBO film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was based on the book. The film stars Oprah …