History of HeLa Cells
1951- Henrietta Lacks is diagnosed with cervical cancer and has a sample of her tumors removed from her.
1951- Henrietta Lacks dies.
1951- George Gey discovers in his lab that the cells he named "HeLa" continuously divided and never died.
1952- Tuskegee Institute's HeLa mass production center begins to send billions of HeLa cells around the world.
1952- Jonas Salk discovers the vaccine for Polio using HeLa cells to test his results.
1954- HeLa cells used to inject cancerous cells into live humans without their knowledge.
1960- HeLa cells launched into space on Russian satellite to test impact of zero gravity on cells.
1967- Stanley Gartler drops the "HeLa bomb" on the medical community when he is the first person to suggest that HeLa cells are contaminating cells in culture around the world, effecting the results of countless experiments and millions of dollars.
1973- The Lackses give blood to researchers at Johns Hopkins unknowingly under the impression that they were giving blood to test for cancer. Their DNA comparisons to Henrietta's led to advances in genetic engineering.
1976- Rolling Stones publishes article about Henrietta Lacks.
1984- It was discovered that HeLa cells have HPV-18, which uncovered how her cancer started and why her cells never died.
1996- the BBC documentary about Henrietta is made.
2010- Rebecca Skloot publishes The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
1951- Henrietta Lacks dies.
1951- George Gey discovers in his lab that the cells he named "HeLa" continuously divided and never died.
1952- Tuskegee Institute's HeLa mass production center begins to send billions of HeLa cells around the world.
1952- Jonas Salk discovers the vaccine for Polio using HeLa cells to test his results.
1954- HeLa cells used to inject cancerous cells into live humans without their knowledge.
1960- HeLa cells launched into space on Russian satellite to test impact of zero gravity on cells.
1967- Stanley Gartler drops the "HeLa bomb" on the medical community when he is the first person to suggest that HeLa cells are contaminating cells in culture around the world, effecting the results of countless experiments and millions of dollars.
1973- The Lackses give blood to researchers at Johns Hopkins unknowingly under the impression that they were giving blood to test for cancer. Their DNA comparisons to Henrietta's led to advances in genetic engineering.
1976- Rolling Stones publishes article about Henrietta Lacks.
1984- It was discovered that HeLa cells have HPV-18, which uncovered how her cancer started and why her cells never died.
1996- the BBC documentary about Henrietta is made.
2010- Rebecca Skloot publishes The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.