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The Sample
Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer and went to John Hopkins for radium treatments. During the procedure, they removed tissue from Henrietta's cervix. This sample was then sent to George Gey who was a cell culturist. -
HeLa is Born
George Gey was able to be the first person to culture immortal human cells. Labeled them HeLa after Henrietta's name. -
Mail? Not Just for Letters!
The first cells to be shipped through the postal services were HeLa cells. -
Saving Millions, One Person At A Time
Tuskegee Institute opened up a nonprofit HeLa factory that was able to mass produce Henrietta's cells. These cells were sent all around the world and were tested to see the effects of different diseases and infections on DNA and cells.With this research, the discovery of the polio vaccine was able to save millions. -
Clones
HeLa cells were the first cells to ever be cloned. -
Purposeful Cancer?
Scientists were injecting Henrietta's cancer cells into patients in order to see if the cancer would grow in them. -
Animal Hybrids
Scientists and researchers were able to fuse mice cells with HeLa cells which formed the first animal hybrid cells. -
HeLa Bomb
Stanley Gartler dropped the HeLa bomb which proved many cell cultures had been contaminated by HeLa cells. -
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Relation of HPV and Cancer
Research showed that the cause of cancer could be due to HPV. Realized when they noticed strings of HPV in each one of Henrietta's cancer cells.