Infectious Cancer Spreads Amongst Tasmanian Devils — Cancer Can Be Contagious Without a Virus
All you oncologists out there should find this one interesting — an infectious cancer in Tasmanian devils that originated in a single animal’s Schwann cells and is spreading via “direct contagion” to other animals.
Cancer as parasite is an analogy I’ve been aware of, but I’ve never seen a cancer spreading between animals as a direct parasite (generally contagious spread is a result of viral hijacking causing changes in DNA that then leads to cancer).
Interesting — and potentially a disruptive way to think about cancer biology.
Scientists Report Findings on Origin of a Cancer in Tasmanian Devils – NYTimes.com.
The Tasmanian devil, the spaniel-size marsupial found on the Australian island of Tasmania, has been hurtling toward extinction in recent years, the victim of a bizarre and mysterious facial cancer that spreads like a plague.
Now Australian scientists say they have discovered how the cancer originated. The finding, being reported Friday in the journal Science, sheds light on how cancer cells can sometimes liberate themselves from the hosts where they first emerged. On a more practical level, it also opens the door to devising vaccines that could save the Tasmanian devils.
