Poster 4: Devil Facial Tumour Disease

Question 1

Transmission

Answer 1

biting

Question 2

Mortality rate

Answer 2

100%

Question 3

Mechanism of action

Answer 3

• aggressive malignant round cell neoplasm affecting the facial regions and spreading to lymph nodes and visceral organs
• tutors are firm, soft tissue masses with flattened centrally ulcerated and exudative surfaces, often with necrotic core
• no protective immune response in nature
• low genetic diversity may explain lack of immune response, but skin graft experiments reject hypothesis
• DFTD cells lack MHC1 markers due to down regulation of b2-microglobulin and transporters for antigen processing genes

Question 4

Effect on population

Answer 4

• has caused devil population to decrease by 60%

Question 5

Vaccine development

Answer 5

• missing information such as ability of host to produce antitumor T cell response, what is the tumor antigen and whether there is production of immunosuppressive factor
• vaccine only provided short term protection
• lack of MHC diversity to induce lymphocyte proliferation
• need to deliver enough of vaccine to have herd immunity

Question 6

Benefits to creating effective vaccine

Answer 6

• would increase number of devils successfully breeding and fully weaning their young
• vaccinate during breeding season since biting due to aggressive mating

Question 7

Alternatives to vaccination.

Answer 7

• culling unlikely to have much impact
• isolation of uninfected individuals has limitations
• genetic selection of North Tasmania uninfected population