Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

7.2K
Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
7.2K
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

3.0K
3.0K
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

6.6K
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
6.6K
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

5.9K
5.9K
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

40.6K
A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...
40.6K
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

15.4K
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
15.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Recurrent intra-tumour heterogeneity is a hallmark of metastatic prostate cancer.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

The Landscape of Prostate Tumour Methylation.

Cancer discovery·2026
Same author

When effective anticancer therapies are, in fact, destabilizing the tumor's Group Phenotypic Composition.

NPJ precision oncology·2026
Same author

Spatiotemporal dynamics, risk assessment, and trophic fate of pharmaceuticals in a rurally-zoned freshwater terminal lake.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Symbiont Reintroduction Alters Tumor Progression and Life-History Traits in the Tumor-Bearing Freshwater Cnidarian <i>Hydra oligactis</i>.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

Selection for Function in Early Life: Implications for Early-Onset Pathologies.

Evolutionary applications·2026
Same journal

AI in Genomics: From Variant Calling to Multi-Omics Integration.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Rethinking One Health: Microbial Foundations for Ecological Governance.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Biobanked Liver Organoids: A Roadmap for Precision Hepatology.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same journal

The Temporal Architecture of Human Cells: Organelle Clocks and Distributed Circadian Time.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Opposing Activity at the Apical Surface: An Antagonistic Collaboration Between Crumbs and Myosin II Determines Organ Shape.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
Same journal

Hidden Fungal DNA Structures May Shape Sequencing Outcomes.

BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration
06:21

Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration

Published on: April 27, 2018

9.2K

Transmissible cancers in an evolutionary context.

Beata Ujvari1,2, Anthony T Papenfuss3,4,5,6, Katherine Belov2

  • 1Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, 3216, Australia.

Bioessays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
|July 16, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transmissible cancers, like canine transmissible venereal tumour and Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease, evolve similarly to organisms. Studying their evolutionary ecology offers new insights into cancer treatment.

Keywords:
Tasmanian devil facial tumour diseasecancer evolutioncanine transmissible venereal tumourclam leukaemiamicro-environment

More Related Videos

Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model
09:03

Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model

Published on: October 16, 2017

9.2K
Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer
07:13

Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

Published on: March 26, 2014

24.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration
06:21

Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration

Published on: April 27, 2018

9.2K
Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model
09:03

Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model

Published on: October 16, 2017

9.2K
Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer
07:13

Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

Published on: March 26, 2014

24.1K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Cancer research
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Cancer exhibits evolutionary and ecological dynamics mirroring organismal evolution.
  • Transmissible cancers offer unique models for studying cancer evolution and host-environment interactions.
  • Existing research has not comprehensively investigated the evolutionary landscapes of contagious cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a multifocal analysis of transmissible tumor progression.
  • To explore the selection forces shaping the evolution of contagious cancers.
  • To compare the evolutionary phases of different transmissible cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of three naturally occurring transmissible cancers: canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), and clam leukaemia.
  • Examination of evolutionary phases, including genetic stability and adaptation to micro- and macro-environments.
  • Discussion of evolutionary theories applied to organismal evolution in the context of cancer.

Main Results:

  • Transmissible cancers adapt to their environments, with evolutionary theories applicable to their progression.
  • CTVT shows remarkable stability, DFTD exhibits stepwise evolution, and clam leukaemia displays genetic instability.
  • All three cancers show recent adaptations, but CTVT is in an evolutionary stalemate, while DFTD and clam leukaemia are more dynamic.

Conclusions:

  • Transmissible cancers evolve under selection pressures from their environments.
  • Different transmissible cancers are in distinct evolutionary phases.
  • Understanding transmissible cancers through an evolutionary ecology lens can inform strategies for treating both contagious and non-communicable cancers.