HeLa

HeLa (/ˈhiːlɑː/) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest human cell line and one of the most commonly used. HeLa cells are durable and prolific, allowing for extensive applications in scientific study. 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, after whom the line is named. Lacks died of cancer on 4 October 1951.

For other uses, see Hela (disambiguation).

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.

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