Tasmanian Devil Cancer Identified

[RJDiogenes]

This is a sequel to our last Thread about the facial tumors threatening Tasmanian Devils.

The cause and identity of the cancer has been identified. Rather than being caused by a virus, these cancer cells are transmitted directly from animal to animal. Apparently, because of the genetic homogeneity of the species, one Devil's immune system will not reject another Devil's cells, even if cancerous (would be good news if they ever needed transplants, I guess). Looks like one of the animals suffered a cancerous mutation about 20 years ago, and the cancer has been spreading ever since.

There is now hope that a cure and a vaccine can be developed in time to save the Devil's from extinction. Already, 70% of the population has been lost and Scientists estimate they only have a couple of decades left unless a cure is found.

A vaccine against the facial tumor disease, “while now pie in the sky, in 10 years might not be,” says Gregory Hannon, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y. “Ten years might be enough time” to save the devils from extinction, he says.

Read the article here.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I don't think there has ever been any chance of devils becoming extinct, however they most certainly could become extinct in the wild like the article says.

One of the most potential damaging aspects about them becoming extinct in the the wild is that in would probably mean an increase in feral carnivores. The feral cat population in Tasmania is far less dense than in Mainland states and this is probably a result of comptetition from devils. It also seem that the devil stopped the fox from ever being able to established itself in Tasmania when attempts were made to introduce it in the 19th century. If the fox was ever able to reach Tasmania either by accident or deliberately being illegally introduced it would most certainly mean the extinction of several species that have either become extinct or severely endangered on the Mainland but are quite common in Tasmania.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

That's really interesting, RJDiogenes. I wasn't even aware of the problem until now. The devils have it rough if a single case of mutated cancerous cells can threaten the entire species...

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Well, they've already put several of them in quarantine and they're breeding the little guys in captivity.

I don't know if there would be enough genetic diversity if the ones in captivity were the only ones let, but we can always hope.

 

[Roshi]

70% of the population has been lost?!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yes, in just about the last 20 years.

That's really interesting, RJDiogenes. I wasn't even aware of the problem until now. The devils have it rough if a single case of mutated cancerous cells can threaten the entire species...

Indeed. It appears they are very susceptible to cancer in general.

Well, they've already put several of them in quarantine and they're breeding the little guys in captivity.

I don't know if there would be enough genetic diversity if the ones in captivity were the only ones let, but we can always hope.

Part of the problem seems to be that they lack genetic diversity to begin with....

I don't think there has ever been any chance of devils becoming extinct, however they most certainly could become extinct in the wild like the article says.

True. As long as they have a viable population in captivity, they won't truly become extinct.

 

[Miss Chicken]

In all likelihood all Tasmanian Devils alive today are descendants of only a small number of devils that made it to Tasmania before rising waters isolated them from the rest of the Australia about 11,000 years ago.

The devils that used to live on the Mainland probably had more genetic diversity than the devils in Tasmania. However devils on the Mainland went into decline after the dingo reached Australia and were becoming rare by about 3000 years ago. The last one is believe to have died about 600 years ago.

 

[T'Baio]

The dingo ate your devil!

 

[Teelie]

I'd heard about this several years ago. Nice to know they figured out what happened. Bizzarre as it is; essentially an STD cancer.

 

[Hound of UIster]

The joys of inbreeding

 

[Miss Chicken]

Good news to report today on the devil front

THE abundance of Tasmanian devils in the state's far North-West has buoyed the spirits of wildlife biologists.
Save the Tasmanian Devil Program biologist Samantha Fox said the project would build fences around healthy wild Tasmanian devil populations, to protect them against the facial tumour disease.
Dr Fox said the program was actively identifying and surveying areas where fences could be built.
This would add significantly to the numbers already caught in the past four years, helping to bolster the "insurance population" in zoos and wildlife parks.
Dr Fox said a seven-day trapping expedition on North-West property Woolnorth caught an amazing 107 devils, 43 of which had been captured before.
She said she was surprised by the age, health and vitality of the devils, compared with those in disease-affected areas.
"Some of the animals observed were nearly seven years old, compared to the average life expectancy of five to six years in the wild."

Rest of story here.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Good news to report today on the devil front

THE abundance of Tasmanian devils in the state's far North-West has buoyed the spirits of wildlife biologists.
Save the Tasmanian Devil Program biologist Samantha Fox said the project would build fences around healthy wild Tasmanian devil populations, to protect them against the facial tumour disease.
Dr Fox said the program was actively identifying and surveying areas where fences could be built.
This would add significantly to the numbers already caught in the past four years, helping to bolster the "insurance population" in zoos and wildlife parks.
Dr Fox said a seven-day trapping expedition on North-West property Woolnorth caught an amazing 107 devils, 43 of which had been captured before.
She said she was surprised by the age, health and vitality of the devils, compared with those in disease-affected areas.
"Some of the animals observed were nearly seven years old, compared to the average life expectancy of five to six years in the wild."

Rest of story here.

That's great!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Definitely good news. I wonder if they're building up a resistance to the disease. It's interesting that so many are older than the average expected age.

 

[Miss Chicken]

MORE GOOD NEWS

NEW research has raised hopes for the devastated Tasmanian devil, finding 20 per cent of devils have a genetic make-up that should enable them to resist the deadly devil facial tumour disease.

DFTD, a unique communicable cancer, has wiped out about 70% of the iconic carnivorous marsupial, and it is feared the species could be extinct in the wild within decades.
However, work by the universities of Tasmania and Sydney released this morning has found that the devils’ notoriously poor genetic diversity may help, rather than hinder, their survival.
The scientists found about 20% of devils, focused mostly on Tasmania’s northwest, have only one or the other of two types of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes – not a mix of both.
This means devils with only one type of these genes, found in the immune region of the genome, should be able to recognise and fight off DFTD cancer cells, which have both types.

Rest of story here

 

[RJDiogenes]

That's great. And they're thinking about breeding programs to increase the immune population. Things are definitely looking up.

 

[ancientone51]

I've been aware of the bad news for some time.

Glad to here there is some good now.

REF EARLER POST...TRANSPLANT COMMENT...MAYBE THESE FELLAS WOULD BE A GOOD STUDY FOR insight in that area whie they are at it



sorry, wrong key...don't feel like redoing it today