Tasmanian devil research offers new insights for tackling cancer in
humans

Date:
August 6, 2020
Source:
Washington State University
Summary:
Researchers found a single genetic mutation that leads to reduced
growth of a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils in the
wild. The finding gives hope for the animals' survival and could
lead to new treatment for human cancers.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A rare, transmissible tumor has brought the iconic Tasmanian devil to the
brink of extinction, but new research by scientists at Washington State University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle
indicates hope for the animals' survival and possibly new treatment for
human cancers.


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The study, published in Genetics on Aug. 1, found a single genetic
mutation that leads to reduced growth of a transmissible cancer in
Tasmanian devils in the wild.

"This gene is implicated in human prostate and colon cancers," said
Andrew Storfer, professor of biological sciences at WSU. "While the
findings hold the most immediate promise to help save the world's few
remaining Tasmanian devils, these results could also someday translate
to human health." The research team, led by Storfer and Mark Margres,
now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, studied the genomes of
cases of devil facial tumor disease, or DFTD, that regressed spontaneously
-- that is, the cancer began disappearing on its own.

They were surprised to find the mutation contributing to tumor regression doesn't change the gene function but instead, turns on a gene that slows
cell growth in the tumor. At least, it behaves that way in the lab.

Current human cancer therapies focus on removing every trace of a tumor,
often through toxic or debilitating treatments, said David Hockenbery,
a cancer biologist at Fred Hutch who contributed to the study.



==========================================================================
"If there were ways that tumors could be tricked into regressing without
having to administer cytotoxic drugs or deforming surgeries, it would
be a major advance," he said.

While infections cause up to 20 percent of all human cancers -- such as
gastric cancer from Helicobacter pylori and cervical cancer from human papillomavirus - - for Tasmanian devils, the cancer is the infection.

DFTD spreads between the animals when they bite each other during common
social behaviors. Since the mid-1990s, the disease has decimated the
natural population of the carnivorous marsupials, which are now found only
on the island state of Tasmania, off the southeastern coast of Australia.

Storfer's lab leads a National Institutes of Health-funded team of
researchers from the U.S. and Australia to improve conservation efforts
for Tasmanian devils and increase understanding of the co-evolution of
the tumor and its host.

Though ferocious with each other, Tasmanian devils take mild handling by
people without much fuss, making it easy for investigators to humanely
capture the animals, collect tissue samples and tag them for monitoring
before release back into the wild.



==========================================================================
As the researchers work to save the devils, they also have an
unprecedented opportunity to watch tumors naturally evolve and sometime
regress without drugs or surgery.

"Although this disease is largely fatal, we're seeing tumors just
disappear from an increasing number of individual animals," Storfer said.

The team is looking at the effects of other promising mutations in
regressed tumors as well.

"We hope to learn something that could be applied to understanding and
possibly treating a number of human cancers in the future," Storfer said.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the
National Science Foundation and the Washington Research Foundation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Washington_State_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Mark J. Margres, Manuel Ruiz-Aravena, Rodrigo Hamede, Kusum Chawla,
Austin H. Patton, Matthew F. Lawrance, Alexandra K. Fraik, Amanda R.

Stahlke, Brian W. Davis, Elaine A. Ostrander, Menna E. Jones,
Hamish McCallum, Patrick J. Paddison, Paul A. Hohenlohe, David
Hockenbery, Andrew Storfer. Spontaneous Tumor Regression in
Tasmanian Devils Associated with RASL11A Activation. Genetics,
2020; 215 (4): 1143 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303428 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200806101750.htm

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