HeLa is an aneuploid epithelial-like cell line derived from human tissue through continuous culture. It was established in 1951 by Gey et al. from the cervical cancer tissue of a 31-year-old African American woman. Upon re-examination of the original tissue sections, Jones et al. reclassified the diagnosis as adenocarcinoma. This cell line is known to contain sequences of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 and must be handled in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) cabinet. The cells are positive for cytokeratin, exhibit low expression of p53, but express normal levels of pRB (retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein).

Cell Name: Human cervical adenocarcinoma cell line (STR-authenticated)

Cell Synonyms: HeLa; HELA; Hela; He La; He-La; Henrietta Lacks cells;   Helacyton gartleri

Catalogue No.: TCH-C193

Species: Human
Tissue Source: Cervix
Disease Characteristics: Cervical Cancer
Morphology: Epithelial-like
Growth Properties: Adherent
Culture System: MEM + 10% FBS + 1% P/S
Matching Medium Code: TCH-G193
Passage Ratio: 1:2–1:6; change medium every 2–3 days
Doubling Time: 48–72 hours
Culture Conditions: Atmosphere: 95% air + 5% CO₂; Temperature: 37°C
Cryopreservation Conditions: 60% basal medium + 30% FBS + 10% DMSO; stored in liquid nitrogen

Quality Control: Negative for bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma