Cancer is Killing the Devils

Experts are concerned Australia’s Tasmanian Devil could soon be extinct due to a contagious form of facial cancer that is wiping out entire populations of the marsupial.

Because Devil groups lack genetic diversity, their bodies don’t launch an immune response to combat tumors. The disease progresses rapidly, resulting in disfiguring growths on the animal’s face and neck which prevent it from feeding.

Research conducted by University of Sydney, the University of Tasmania, the Australian Museum and the Tasmanian government revealed that the cancer in every animal tested originated from a single cell line and was spread by biting. As one researcher explained,

“Essentially, there are no natural barriers to the spread of the disease, so affected individuals must be removed from the populations to stop disease transmission.”

Katherine Belov
University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science

Results of the study have been published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Source: Reuters Science

Related Podcasts: The Science Behind the Damage of Inbreeding from NPR

Tags: endangered species; carnivores; contagious cancers; veterinary medicine; Genetics and Public Policy Center

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Published by Lisa on Friday 12 October 2007 at 8:15 am - permalink
Filed under Cancer Genetics,Head & Neck Cancer,Oral Cancer,Podcasts

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Cancer is Killing the Devils

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