More About HeLa Cells
Henrietta first figured out something was wrong with her body while taking a bath. Deciding it would be best to visit a doctor, she went to Johns Hopkins Hospital. While there, the doctors took two samples of the tumor – one for the lab, and one for researcher Dr. George Gey and his lab assistant, Mary Kubicek. When Kubicek observed the cells in the lab, she figured out that the cells just kept growing and growing, never stopping. Gey and Kubicek wondered why this was happening, because no other cells had done that before, so they decided to perform a biopsy on Henrietta's cells. The results from that biopsy told them that the cancer cells could reproduce, and even thrive, outside of the human body. Henrietta's cells were even capable of jumping out of the container they were kept in and colonizing other cell strains.
Many medical advancements were made through the use of HeLa cells. It was discovered that if polio-infected cells were put inside HeLa cells, then the HeLa cell would make a copy of more polio. This information was used in the making of polio vaccines. Henrietta's cells were also the key to unlocking other medical advancements, such as chemotherapy drugs. Even another way that HeLa cells helped the world of science was by going up into space in some of the first space missions, to figure out what human cells would do when exposed to zero gravity conditions. HeLa cells also were the key to many other medical advancements, and we would not know near as much about cells as we do today without them.
Many medical advancements were made through the use of HeLa cells. It was discovered that if polio-infected cells were put inside HeLa cells, then the HeLa cell would make a copy of more polio. This information was used in the making of polio vaccines. Henrietta's cells were also the key to unlocking other medical advancements, such as chemotherapy drugs. Even another way that HeLa cells helped the world of science was by going up into space in some of the first space missions, to figure out what human cells would do when exposed to zero gravity conditions. HeLa cells also were the key to many other medical advancements, and we would not know near as much about cells as we do today without them.
Facts
-- Henrietta Lacks' youngest daughter, Deborah, was too young when Henrietta died to remember anything about her, but she was able to go visit her mother's cells in a laboratory after years of wondering.
-- Henrietta's cells are still alive today, even though Henrietta died in 1951.
-- Henrietta Lacks’ cells have been living outside of her body for longer than they have ever lived inside of it.
-- Johns Hopkins never patented the HeLa cells, nor benefitted in a financial way from them.
-- Henrietta's cells are still alive today, even though Henrietta died in 1951.
-- Henrietta Lacks’ cells have been living outside of her body for longer than they have ever lived inside of it.
-- Johns Hopkins never patented the HeLa cells, nor benefitted in a financial way from them.