title: Devil Facial Tumor Disease.
abstract: Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is an emergent transmissible cancer exclusive to Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) and threatening the species with extinction in the wild. Research on DFTD began 10 years ago, when nothing was known about the tumor and little about the devils. The depth of knowledge gained since then is impressive, with research having addressed significant aspects of the disease and the devils' responses to it. These include the cause and pathogenesis of DFTD, the immune response of the devils and the immune evasion mechanisms of the tumor, the transmission patterns of DFTD, and the impacts of DFTD on the ecosystem. This review aims to collate this information and put it into the context of conservation strategies designed to mitigate the impacts of DFTD on the devil and the Tasmanian ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia G.M.Woods@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Schwann cell; Tasmanian devil; allograft; devil facial tumor disease; genetics; immune evasion; immune response; transmissible cancer; tumor escape