HeLa cells and polio

[Timbo_Baggins]

I am new to biology and have been reading about HeLa cells. I understand they were cancer cells and had assumed cancer cells were kind of function less, why is it the case that they can still be infected with such viruses? I am supposed to write about why HeLa cells were useful for polio research and am reading that they 'responded' well to the virus under culture, this is just a side thought that I'd like to understand. I've possibly worded this badly but just wanted to know how 'active' exactly cancer cells are and why HeLa cells were ideal to use besides their ability to multiply quickly?

 

Thank you in advance, I look forward to being enlightened!

Edited October 12, 2016 by Timbo_Baggins

[Country Boy]

"I understand they were cancer cells and had assumed cancer cells were kind of function less, why is it the case that they can still be infected with such viruses?"

 

Why would whether or not cancer cells have a "function" or not have anything to do with being infected by a virus? It is not as if the virus cared!