Pye Ruth, Hamede Rodrigo, Siddle Hannah V, Caldwell Alison, Knowles Graeme W, Swift Kate, Kreiss Alexandre, Jones Menna E, Lyons A Bruce, Woods Gregory M
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia
School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
Biol Lett. 2016 Oct;12(10). doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0553.
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.
袋獾面部肿瘤疾病（DFTD）是一种最近出现的致命性可传播癌症，正在毁灭袋獾（袋獾属）的野生种群。撕咬会传播癌细胞，肿瘤会作为同种异体移植在新宿主中发展。文献报道，DFTD采用的免疫逃逸机制不可避免地导致宿主死亡。在此，我们首次证明DFTD可以消退，并且野生袋獾能够对该疾病产生免疫反应。在接受检测的52只袋獾中，有6只具有针对DFTD细胞的血清抗体，在其中一个案例中，其肿瘤中有显著的T淋巴细胞浸润。值得注意的是，6只具有血清抗体的袋獾中有4只曾有过DFTD消退的病史。在野生塔斯马尼亚袋獾中针对DFTD的免疫反应的新证明表明，一部分野生袋獾可以针对自然感染的DFTD产生保护性免疫反应。这对肿瘤与宿主的共同进化以及疫苗开发具有重要意义。
