What types of cells were used in Dr. Wentz’s cell culture studies?
Many cell cultures used in laboratory experiments are, for all intents and purposes, human cancer cells.
One of the basic characteristics of a cancerous cell is that it continually divides. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells do not have a mechanism inside their DNA that tells them when to stop dividing. As such, they continue to grow if given the proper conditions. This makes them excellent for research; because the cells multiply quickly, they can be very useful in a laboratory setting.
Some of the cells used by Dr. Wentz in his cell culture studies were likely HeLa cells. HeLa cells survive and multiply very well in culture, so they are used in research labs around the world for study. In fact, if HeLa cells are cultivated properly and given optimum nutrients, they continue to grow and divide indefinitely.
USANA is not the only company which uses these cell lines for research. In fact, these cell lines can be ordered from many catalogues. Over the past 52 years, research on HeLa cells has provided scientists with an enormous amount of knowledge about the physiology and genetics of cells.
