HeLa cells were originally derived from:
HeLa cell line is earliest and most famous continuous human line, established in February 1951 from epithelial cells of cervical adenocarcinoma biopsied from Henrietta Lacks, 31-year-old African-American patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Surgeon Howard Jones collected tissue during diagnosis, and George Gey cultured explant demonstrating unprecedented robust growth doubling every 24 hours without feeder cells. Cytogenetic studies reveal hypotriploid chromosome number 76-80 with numerous translocations, and integration of human papillomavirus type 18 genome producing viral oncoproteins E6 degr
Ref: Scherer et al J Exp Med 1953 HeLa cervical carcinoma origin; Skloot The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 2010; ATCC CCL-2 HeLa HPV-18.