Transmissible cancers are incredibly rare in
nature, yet have arisen in Tasmanian devils on at least two separate occasions.
New research from the University of Cambridge identifies key anti-cancer drugs
which could be trialled as a treatment for these diseases, which are
threatening Tasmanian devils with extinction.
The research also found that the two
Tasmanian devil transmissible cancers are very similar to each other, and
likely both arose due to susceptibilities inherent to the devils themselves.
Tasmanian devils are marsupial carnivores
endemic to the Australian island of Tasmania. The species is considered
endangered due to devil facial tumour 1 (DFT1), a cancer that is passed between
animals through the transfer of living cancer cells when
the animals bite each other. DFT1 causes grotesque and disfiguring facial
tumours, which usually kill affected individuals.
The DFT1 cancer first arose in a single
individual devil several decades ago, but rather than dying together with this
devil, the cancer survived by 'metastasising' into different devils. Therefore,
the DNA of the devils' tumour cells is not their own DNA, but rather belongs to
the individual devil that first gave rise to DFT1 all those years ago.
Remarkably, DFT1 cells can escape the devils' immune systems despite being in
essence a foreign body.
The DFT1 cancer was first observed in
north-east Tasmania in 1996, but has subsequently spread widely throughout the
island, causing significant declines in devil populations.
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