Home the legacy of henrietta lacks the importance of hela cells among the important scientific discoveries of the last century was the first immortal human cell line known as hela a remarkably durable and prolific line of cells obtained during the treatment of henriettas cancer by johns hopkins researcher dr george gey in 1951. Hela cells are tumor cells taken from a malignant tumor of henrietta lacks these were the first human cells to be cultured in the lab immortality is something that is cherished by some and denounced by others it is an ambiguous baffling concept that can be achieved in more ways than one. Henrietta lacks now oprah winfrey is executive producing and starring in an hbo movie adaptation of the immortal life of henrietta lacks the new york times best seller by rebecca skloot that