Henrietta Lacks's Cells Made These Breakthroughs Possible

Since its establishment in 1951, the HeLa cell line has been used to study everything from influenza to in vitro fertilizationand HeLa cells can now be found in laboratories the world over. Among the breakthrough medical moments Lackss DNA made possible: 1952 Jonas Salk develops the worlds first polio vaccinebut the lifesaving advancement must be tested before being given to children. Enter the first HeLa distribution center, created to produce trillions of cells and expose them to the virus.1953HeLa cells are mistakenly mixed with a liquid that causes their chromosomes to unclump, offering a clear glimpse of each; seeing the total number of chromosomes (46) for the first time gives doctors a baseline by which to identify abnormalities.1960HeLa cells accompany the Soviet satellite Korabl-Sputnik 2 into orbit, beating Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn to space. NASA responds by placing HeLa on board the Discoverer XVIII satellite to study zero gravitys impact on human cells.1965Scientists Henry Harris and John Watkins release the news that theyve combined HeLa and mouse cells. The experiment lets researchers link gene function to specific chromosomes, setting the stage for the mapping of the human genome.1984Virologist Harald zur Hausen tests a sample of Lackss original biopsy and finds its infected with an STD called human papillomavirus (HPV) 18. Using HeLa cells, he discovers HPV 18 causes cervical cancerand paves the way for a vaccine.2014Chemists and engineers at Penn State University announce theyve implanted synthetic nanomotors into HeLa cells; the technology, previously unstudied in living human tissue, might one day allow doctors to destroy cancer cells from the inside. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Click here to read full news..