Field narrows in hunt for devil tumour genes

[Dead_Parrot]

Tumour cells from a Tasmanian devil that may have died two decades ago now threaten to wipe out the entire species. Genome sequences from the infectious tumour are published today in the journal Cell1, offering clues about how the cancer has spread to devils across the Australian island of Tasmania.

Scientists hope that the information will eventually help to rescue dwindling wild populations of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) by predicting the how the disease will spread and by identifying genes that could be targeted by vaccines or drugs.

The first cases of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) were detected in the mid-1990s, when people noticed the disfigured faces of devils in northeast Tasmania. These tumour cells pass from devil to devil when the aggressive marsupials mate and fight for food.

Once seeded, the cancer cells divide swiftly to form large malignant growths, and most infected devils die from starvation or metastases to vital organs within months. DFTD has marched steadily across Tasmania, and now a pocket in the northwest part of the island is the only place home to whole populations of uninfected devils. In the hardest-hit areas, more than half of devils are infected and many die as they hit their reproductive prime.

more: http://www.nature.com/news/field-narrows-in-hunt-for-devil-tumour-genes-1.10046

[xchrom]

1. they're feisty little devils -- but i sure hope this has a good outcome for them. nt

[Dead_Parrot]

2. I hope so - time is getting short. :( nt

[wtmusic]

3. Poor little guys.

I wish I could bite as hard as they can.