title: Cancer as a contagious disease.
abstract: Contagious cancers are malignant cells that are physically transferred between individuals as a natural allograft, forming new clonal tumours. These cancers are highly unusual, but have emerged in 2 mammalian species, the dog and the Tasmanian devil, as well as 4 species of bivalve. The transfer of malignant cells in mammals should initiate a robust immune response and although invertebrates have a less complex immune system, these species still have mechanisms that should prevent engraftment and protect against cellular parasitism. Here the naturally occurring contagious cancers are reviewed to determine what features are important and necessary for the emergence and spread of these types of cancer, with a focus on the mammalian contagious cancers and how they successfully cross histocompatibility barriers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Siddle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D015870:Gene Expression; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: DFTD; MHC; Tasmanian devil; contagious cancer