title: Demonstration of immune responses against devil facial tumour disease in wild Tasmanian devils.
abstract: Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a recently emerged fatal transmissible cancer decimating the wild population of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Biting transmits the cancer cells and the tumour develops in the new host as an allograft. The literature reports that immune escape mechanisms employed by DFTD inevitably result in host death. Here we present the first evidence that DFTD regression can occur and that wild devils can mount an immune response against the disease. Of the 52 devils tested, six had serum antibodies against DFTD cells and, in one case, prominent T lymphocyte infiltration in its tumour. Notably, four of the six devils with serum antibody had histories of DFTD regression. The novel demonstration of an immune response against DFTD in wild Tasmanian devils suggests that a proportion of wild devils can produce a protective immune response against naturally acquired DFTD. This has implications for tumour-host coevolution and vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia ruth.pye@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamede
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Science, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Hannah V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Siddle
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Science, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Graeme W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Menna E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: A Bruce
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia g.m.woods@utas.edu.au.|School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8421-7917
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Tasmanian devil; devil facial tumour disease; emerging infectious disease; immune response; transmissible cancer