HeLa cells

HeLa is the first cell line, the first human cells able to reproduce on their own in the lab, and still the most widely used immortal cell line in scientific research. It was derived from a cervical cancer patient whose name was Henrietta Lacks in John Hopkins University almost 60 years ago. Nowadays it’s impossible to name a cell line after a patient’s name. Patient privacy has become a very sensitive topic. Rebecca Skloot, a science journalist, has just written a book about HeLa story - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/).