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3. Fresh chicken plasma obtained from the blood of a __ other tissue culture cell lines used in cancer and cancer live chicken heart. virus research. For some unknown reason, Henrietta’s cancer cells In 1974, cell culture expert Walter Nelson-Rees, PhD, continued to grow vigorously. The cells did not age. discovered widespread contamination of cell lines with Instead, if fed properly, they could live and multiply | HeLa, using a light microscope and a special Giemsa indefinitely. Amazingly, her new tissue culture "cell line" cell stain which revealed the distinctive chromosomal proved to be "immortal". These malignant cells became aberrations typical of HeLa. As a whistleblower, he blew the first successful human tissue culture cell line in _ the lid off cancer research. Forty different human cell medical history—the now famous HeLa cell line culture lines, used extensively in labs worldwide, were commemorating the legendary HEnrietta LAcks. contaminated with HeLa. Millions of dollars’ worth of Gold claims that the cell line brought revolutionary published cancer research experiments were ruined. changes (as well as havoc) into “Liver cells" and "monkey cells" the field of cancer virus used in cancer experiments research. Viruses could now be turned out to be Henrietta's seeded onto glass tubes ...the immortal cells cervical cancer cells in disguise. containing sheets of live cells, . Benign cells which and for the first time virologists frequently contaminated "spontaneously transformed" could directly observe the other tissue culture cell into malignant cells were effects of viral infection on . . retrospectively found to be cell iving cells. lines used in cancer and cultures which had been But what about all those cancer virus research. inadvertently contaminated with HeLa. Even the iconic Dr Jonas Salk, nown and unknown viruses and bacteria that were incorporated into Henrietta’s who developed the Salk polio cells by the chicken, beef and vaccine, was fooled when HeLa uman blood and tissue mix that fed her cells and made cells contaminated his animal cell lines. Salk used hem immortal? And what about the human papilloma — HeLa cells to grow the polio virus and he tested the virus contained in her cancer cells, which in the 1950s — vaccine on HeLa cells before it was first used on was not accepted as a cause of cervical cancer? humans in 1955. Years later, in 1978, before a stunned Apparently there was no scientific concern about any of | audience of cell biologists and vaccine-makers, he his contamination. spoke about experiments he'd performed in the late 1950s on dying cancer patients. Salk injected these The HeLa cell contamination problem patients with a cell line of monkey heart tissue—the HeLa cells proved so hardy that, when passed around same cell line he used to harvest polio virus for his he world to various laboratories over the next few famous vaccine. He hoped the monkey cell injections decades, the immortal cells frequently contaminated would stimulate the immune system to fight cancer. However, when abscesses developed at the site of injections, Salk began o suspect that he might be injecting HeLa cells rather than monkey cells and so he stopped the experiment. elson-Rees, who also attended e 1978 conference, offered to tes Salk's line if it was still available. Salk graciously agreed, and the monkey cells indeed proved to be HeLa cells which had invaded and aken over the monkey cell line. According to author Gold, Salk ought there were adequate ways to separate viruses from the tissue cel ines, so that it really didn't matter what kind of cells were used. Even i e vaccines weren't filtered, and Divide and conquer: A HeLa cell splitting into two new cells. even if whole cancer cells were The green spots are chromosomes. (Image courtesy of Paul D. Andrews, injected directly into a human, Salk from the Popular Science website, http://www.popsci.com.au/) believed they would be rejected by frequently contaminated other tissue culture cell The HeLa cell contamination problem HeLa cells proved so hardy that, when passed around the world to various laboratories over the next few decades, the immortal cells frequently contaminated 26 * NEXUS APRIL - MAY 2010 ...the immortal cells lines used in cancer and cancer virus research. www.nexusmagazine.com