Famous "HeLa" Human Cell Line Gets Its DNA Sequenced

HeLa cells, immortal cells taken from the deadly cervical tumor form Henrietta Lacks, has been sequenced by researchers. The cells were established in 1951 after Lacks died of her cancer. These cells were the first cells to survive in the lab after more than a couple of days. The cells have contributed to much research including to the development of the polio vaccine as well as more than 60,000 research papers. These cells have been replicated in many labs around the world for six decades.

The genome of the HeLa cell line has been sequenced by a team at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany lead by geneticist Lars Steinmetz. His team confirmed that HeLa cells contain one extra version of most chromosomes, with up to five copies of some. It was also found that large segments of chromosome 11 and many other chromosomes had massive rearrangements, which could be contributed to the cervical tumor. With the genome now sequenced and showing to be full of errors Steinmetz brings of the question of its continued use as models for human cell biology. Having been replicated for so long the cell has evolved, the cell has accumulated errors that are not present in the original tumor DNA.



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