The immortal HeLa cells.

[We Never Know]

I had never heard of these. Pretty interesting.

The immortal HeLa cells.

Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer on Oct 4th, 1951. The cells of the tumor that killed her are still alive today.

Gey “discovered that [Henrietta’s] cells did something they had never seen before: They could be kept alive and grow.” (p. 94) Cells obtained previously from other sources would survive for only a few days. Some cells in Lacks’ tissue sample behaved differently than others. Gey was able to isolate one specific cell, multiply it and start the HeLa cell line. As the first human cells that could be grown in a lab and were “immortal” (did not die after a few cell divisions), they could then be used for many experiments. This represented an enormous boon to medical and biological research. It is estimated that total weight of all the HeLa cells ever grown exceeds 50 million metric tons.

Scientists worldwide have used Henrietta’s cells for research in cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits. HeLa cells have been used to test human sensitivity to tape, glue, cosmetics, and many other products. There are almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

 

[Nakosis]

I had never heard of these. Pretty interesting.

The immortal HeLa cells.

Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer on Oct 4th, 1951. The cells of the tumor that killed her are still alive today.

Gey “discovered that [Henrietta’s] cells did something they had never seen before: They could be kept alive and grow.” (p. 94) Cells obtained previously from other sources would survive for only a few days. Some cells in Lacks’ tissue sample behaved differently than others. Gey was able to isolate one specific cell, multiply it and start the HeLa cell line. As the first human cells that could be grown in a lab and were “immortal” (did not die after a few cell divisions), they could then be used for many experiments. This represented an enormous boon to medical and biological research. It is estimated that total weight of all the HeLa cells ever grown exceeds 50 million metric tons.

Scientists worldwide have used Henrietta’s cells for research in cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits. HeLa cells have been used to test human sensitivity to tape, glue, cosmetics, and many other products. There are almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Seems most of human intellectual development occurs in the face of adversity.

 

[Tumah]

Am I to understand from these cells that the next stage of evolution is immortality?

 

[Heyo]

Am I to understand from these cells that the next stage of evolution is immortality?

If you have cancer in every one of your cells and they are all equally malignant, then yes.

 

[Tumah]

If you have cancer in every one of your cells and they are all equally malignant, then yes.

I was thinking more along the lines of seeing as how human cells can become immortal, that perhaps the future could hold a day when even healthy human cells and all of them will also become immortal.

 

[SigurdReginson]

That's HeLa interesting.

 

[Heyo]

I was thinking more along the lines of seeing as how human cells can become immortal, that perhaps the future could hold a day when even healthy human cells and all of them will also become immortal.

There is little chance that that may happen through evolution. With very few and special exceptions every multi celled life there seems to be a limit. But scientists are working on prolonging human life. And regrowing telomeres seems to be a factor - associated with a higher risk of cancer.
Try to survive the next 50 years. By that time there will most likely be a solution that comes close to immortality, either through technology or biology.

 

[Tumah]

There is little chance that that may happen through evolution. With very few and special exceptions every multi celled life there seems to be a limit. But scientists are working on prolonging human life. And regrowing telomeres seems to be a factor - associated with a higher risk of cancer.
Try to survive the next 50 years. By that time there will most likely be a solution that comes close to immortality, either through technology or biology.

I'm not looking for immortality, I'm just commenting on what seems like a possible conclusion. If one type of cells can manage to stay alive, then it seems like it should be able to happen again given enough time, to another group of cells.

 

[Heyo]

I'm not looking for immortality, I'm just commenting on what seems like a possible conclusion. If one type of cells can manage to stay alive, then it seems like it should be able to happen again given enough time, to another group of cells.

It can happen to almost all types of cells, we call all of them cancer but in fact there are many types of cancer. The only other type of cell that is immortal is the embryonic stem cell. The crux about immortality in a diversified organism is that all types of cells would have to gain that immortality at once. When only a few get it, it's cancer.

 

[Tumah]

It can happen to almost all types of cells, we call all of them cancer but in fact there are many types of cancer. The only other type of cell that is immortal is the embryonic stem cell. The crux about immortality in a diversified organism is that all types of cells would have to gain that immortality at once. When only a few get it, it's cancer.

That's interesting and an interesting point.
I did not know that embryonic stem cells had this capability (among their other capabilities) as well. With that feature, I kind of wonder why there's a need for stem cell drives.

 

[Heyo]

That's interesting and an interesting point.
I did not know that embryonic stem cells had this capability (among their other capabilities) as well. With that feature, I kind of wonder why there's a need for stem cell drives.

Well, they are embryonic stem cells. I.e. for some people they are potential humans.

 

[Tumah]

Well, they are embryonic stem cells. I.e. for some people they are potential humans.

But they can (and are in these drives) be collected from the umbilical cord after birth. If it's possible to grow these, as was done to the HeLa cells which are evaluated at having grown to 50 million tons, why not do the same to these cells?

 

[Heyo]

But they can (and are in these drives) be collected from the umbilical cord after birth. If it's possible to grow these, as was done to the HeLa cells which are evaluated at having grown to 50 million tons, why not do the same to these cells?

No. Embryonic stem cells are only 4 to 5 days old and can't be harvested from the umbilical cord.
Embryonic stem cell - Wikipedia

 

[Tumah]

No. Embryonic stem cells are only 4 to 5 days old and can't be harvested from the umbilical cord.
Embryonic stem cell - Wikipedia

Sorry, it's the placenta, not the umbilical cord.
Placenta: New Source For Harvesting Stem Cells

 

[Heyo]

Sorry, it's the placenta, not the umbilical cord.
Placenta: New Source For Harvesting Stem Cells

Still not embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are great for most applications, the younger, the better. But only those harvested from a blastocyst are potentially immortal. They are also very hard to care for. Unlike cancer cells, which will survive as long as they are fed, ESC have to be kept separated, in special solutions, regularly tested for mutations, etc.

 

[Tumah]

Still not embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are great for most applications, the younger, the better. But only those harvested from a blastocyst are potentially immortal. They are also very hard to care for. Unlike cancer cells, which will survive as long as they are fed, ESC have to be kept separated, in special solutions, regularly tested for mutations, etc.

I see. I didn't realize there's a difference.

 

[We Never Know]

It can happen to almost all types of cells, we call all of them cancer but in fact there are many types of cancer. The only other type of cell that is immortal is the embryonic stem cell. The crux about immortality in a diversified organism is that all types of cells would have to gain that immortality at once. When only a few get it, it's cancer.

According to the link and other links I've read, other cells die within days outside the body but not these and it's the first they ever seen.

And this was quite interesting too..

Later, Dr. Stanley Gartler found that Henrietta's cells were even capable of jumping out of the petri dish and colonizing other cell strains.

Henrietta's Tumor | Radiolab | WNYC Studios