Contagious Cancer: Genome Study Reveals How Tasmanian Devil Cancer Has Spread

Tasmanian devils are in danger of being wiped out by a contagious facial cancer that has been spreading via live cancer cells through bites. This cancer has plagued the animal’s population for more than a decade now, having spread from the original infected female 15 years ago. Genetic sequences show that all tumors affecting the population today contain cells from the originally infected devil. Researcher Elizabeth Murchison, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, calls her the immortal devil. The Tasmanian devil genome revealed why the cancer hasn’t killed off the species yet. As it turns out, some devils show resistance to at least two strains of the cancer. However, the Tasmanian devil’s cancer has more than 17,000 mutations. “Sequencing the genome of this cancer has allowed us to catalogue the mutations that caused this cancer to arise and to persist,” Murchison said. Information acquired from studying the genomes could point the way to targeted cancer drugs. Scientists hope the Tasmanian devil cancer can prepare them for the rare likelihood that there is ever a contagious cancer in humans.

            This is discovery based science as no hypothesis was made, and the article is simply reporting the findings.

This discovery helps humans in the way that it provides new information in the fight against cancer, and is helping scientists find ways to fight against a contagious cancer that affects a population, in the event that there is ever such a cancer that affects human beings.  

Title: Contagious Cancer: Genome Study Reveals How Tasmanian Devil Cancer Has Spread

Journal: Scientific American

Date published: February 17, 2012