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Hela

(Science: cell culture, oncology) Referring to cells of the first continuously cultured (human cervical) carcinoma strain.

An established line of human epithelial cells derived from a cervical caracinoma (from a black American woman called Henrietta lacks). In fact the cellular biomass now considerably exceeds that of Henrietta herself !

These cells are used for virus cultivation and antitumour drug screening assays.

Origin: Henrietta lacks (d. 1951).