HeLa Cells

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HeLa Cells

News: Recently, The estate of Henrietta Lacks filed a lawsuit accusing biopharmaceutical company Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (RARE.O) of unlawfully profiting from cells that were taken from Lacks' body without her consent during a medical procedure in 1951.

What are HeLa Cells?
• HeLa cells are a type of human cell line that was derived from the cervical cancer cells of a woman named Henrietta Lacks in 1951.
• They are the oldest and most widely used human cell line in scientific research, and have contributed to many important discoveries in medicine, such as the development of the polio vaccine, gene mapping, and cancer treatment.
• HeLa cells are also immortal, meaning they can divide indefinitely in a laboratory as long as they have enough nutrients and a suitable environment. This makes them very valuable for studying various biological processes and diseases, but also poses some challenges, such as contamination of other cell cultures and ethical issues regarding the consent and rights of the donor and her family.

What is the difference between Normal Cell and Immortal Cell?

Normal Cell	Immortal Cell
Normal cells have a limited lifespan and stop dividing after a certain number of cycles.	Immortal cells can divide indefinitely and escape the process of aging and death
Normal cells have a mechanism called cellular senescence, which prevents them from replicating beyond a certain point, known as the Hayflick limit.	Immortal cells, on the other hand, have acquired mutations that allow them to bypass cellular senescence and maintain their telomeres, which are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division.