How can a single cell completely change the view of biology and medicine? This is the case for HeLa cells, derived from Henrietta Lacks, an African American diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951. Her cells were the first "immortal cell" discovered at the time. Although this is not the only immortal cell, it is the first and a landmark for biology and medicine.
HeLa cells are the center of groundbreaking achievements in the field of medicine, as mentioned by Dr. Thomas:
"1. Development of the Polio vaccine2. Development of a novel method to stain and count chromosomes3. Discovery of Human Papilloma virus-18 (HPV-18) as the causative organism in Cervical cancer4. Studies on entry of SARS CoV-2019 into human cells using ACE-2 receptors5. Studies on Anti- cancer drugs including Tamoxifen (Breast cancer drug)6. Discovery of the enzyme Telomerase7. Studies of the effect of Zero Gravity (outer space) on cells" (Thomas, 2023).
The discovered of the Cells is an important leap in the biology world as well as in the field of medical, with these achievements, the health of many people has been protected and many lives have been saved. In the article, Dr. Thomas also discussed about the ethical aspect and the significance of the HeLa cells. It is important to find a cure or a preventive way to protect people's health, but it is most important to do so ethically, which is why the Hippocrates Oath is taken for every Physician now.
WORKS CITED
Thomas, A. (2023). HeLa Cells: The Genes That Saved Generations. MedBoundTimes Medical Journalism. https://www.medboundtimes.com/medbound-blog/hela-cells-the-genes-that-saved-generations
Babraham Institute (2021). Reflecting on HeLa cells: 70 years on. Babraham Institute. https://www.babraham.ac.uk/blog/hela-cells
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