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Updated: May 24, 2026
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Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
Published on: January 7, 2019
Contagious cancer: lessons from the devil and the dog
1Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. kathy.belov@sydney.edu.au
Summary
Contagious cancers, like devil facial tumour disease and canine transmissible venereal tumour, are clonal cell lines transmitted between individuals. Studying these unique cancers offers insights into immune tolerance and potential human cancer treatments.
Area of Science:
- Comparative oncology
- Evolutionary biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Cancer is typically characterized by uncontrolled cell growth due to genetic or environmental factors.
- Naturally occurring transmissible cancers, such as devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) and canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), represent rare exceptions.
- DFTD emerged in 1996, while CTVT is an ancient cancer dating back over 6,000 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare and contrast DFTD and CTVT, focusing on their unique biological characteristics.
- To investigate the life histories and evolutionary trajectories of these transmissible cancer cell lines.
- To explore the mechanisms of immune tolerance that enable cancer transmission.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of existing literature on DFTD and CTVT.
- Examination of the evolutionary history and genetic makeup of the transmissible cancer cell lines.
- Review of immunological studies related to cancer-immune interactions in these specific diseases.
Main Results:
- Both DFTD and CTVT are clonal cell lines that have been transmitted between individuals.
- Significant differences exist in the evolutionary age and emergence of DFTD and CTVT.
- Both cancers have developed strategies to evade the host immune system, facilitating their transmission.
Conclusions:
- Transmissible cancers provide a unique model for understanding cancer evolution and the host immune response.
- Studying these contagious cancers can reveal novel mechanisms of immune evasion.
- Insights gained may lead to new therapeutic strategies for human cancers.
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