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Substudies
phs000642.v1.p1 : The Haplotype-Resolved Genome and Epigenome of The HeLa Cancer Cell Line
phs000643.v1.p1 : The Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of a HeLa Cell Line

Study Description

This study contains all authorized whole genome sequence data of the HeLa cell line from datasets currently in dbGaP. These data have been approved for health, medical, and/or biomedical research purposes. Access to these data can be granted for one year. Accessible data will include the studies listed on this page and any additional authorized datasets that become available during this one-year period.

The HeLa Genome Data Access Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) will review requests from the research community for access to these datasets and assess whether the requests align with the terms of use defined in the HeLa Genome Data Use Agreement. The Working Group's findings will be reported to the ACD, and the ACD will make recommendations to the NIH Director about whether a request should be approved or disapproved. The NIH Director will decide whether access to the data will be granted.

Authorized Access
Publicly Available Data
Study History

HeLa is a human epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line that was derived from biopsy specimens of a 31-year old patient named Henrietta Lacks who was being treated for cervical cancer at The Johns Hopkins University Hospital in 1951. The specimens were obtained without her knowledge or consent just before her death in 1951. HeLa is the oldest and most widely used human cell line and has been an extraordinarily important resource for researchers throughout the world. HeLa cells have served as a standard for understanding many fundamental biological processes, such as testing the polio vaccine, establishing basic techniques for cloning and in vitro fertilization, identifying the cause of cervical cancer (HPV), and advancing the development of anti-cancer drugs.

Selected Publications
Diseases/Traits Related to Study (MeSH terms)
Authorized Data Access Requests
Study Attribution
Approved users of these data should include the following acknowledgement in all public presentations and publications of research conducted using these data.
The genome sequence described/used in this research was derived from a HeLa cell line. Henrietta Lacks, and the HeLa cell line that was established from her tumor cells without her knowledge or consent in 1951, have made significant contributions to scientific progress and advances in human health. We are grateful to Henrietta Lacks, now deceased, and to her surviving family members for their contributions to biomedical research. This study was reviewed by the NIH HeLa Genome Data Access Working Group. The genomic datasets used for analysis described in this manuscript were obtained from the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) through dbGaP accession number phs000640.v1.p1.