title: Regression of devil facial tumour disease following immunotherapy in immunised Tasmanian devils.
abstract: Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a transmissible cancer devastating the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) population. The cancer cell is the 'infectious' agent transmitted as an allograft by biting. Animals usually die within a few months with no evidence of antibody or immune cell responses against the DFTD allograft. This lack of anti-tumour immunity is attributed to an absence of cell surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I molecule expression. While the endangerment of the devil population precludes experimentation on large experimental groups, those examined in our study indicated that immunisation and immunotherapy with DFTD cells expressing surface MHC-I corresponded with effective anti-tumour responses. Tumour engraftment did not occur in one of the five immunised Tasmanian devils, and regression followed therapy of experimentally induced DFTD tumours in three Tasmanian devils. Regression correlated with immune cell infiltration and antibody responses against DFTD cells. These data support the concept that immunisation of devils with DFTD cancer cells can successfully induce humoral responses against DFTD and trigger immune-mediated regression of established tumours. Our findings support the feasibility of a protective DFTD vaccine and ultimately the preservation of the species.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tovar
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Ruth J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pye
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: Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.|Department of Health and Human Services, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Gabriella K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Darby
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.|Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Roslyn C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Malley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hannah V T
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Siddle
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skjødt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: CSL Ltd., Bio21 Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CSL Ltd., Bio21 Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baz Morelli
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Papenfuss
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.|Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.|Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: CSL Ltd., Bio21 Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pearse
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belov
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.|School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000276:immunology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I