Inmunisation trial against devil facial tumour disease in Tasmanian devils

Authors: Kreiss A
Publication: Proceedings of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Annual Conferences, Volume 2014 AVA Annual Conference, Perth, Issue Conservation Biology / Welfare / Public Health, May 2014
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

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Abstract: The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is an endemic marsupial carnivore that lives exclusively in the island-state of Tasmania, Australia. The species is under threat by a contagious cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), which has high morbidity and invariably 100% mortality. The infectious agent is the tumour cell itself. In this paper we present data from several devils vaccinated with DFTD tumour cells killed by different means and coupled with different adjuvants. Anti-DFTD antibodies were measured using flow cytometry and ELISA, and cytotoxicity against DFTD cells was measured using a chromium release assay. Selected devils were challenged with live DFTD tumour cells after vaccination. We demonstrate that most devils were able to produce a humoral immune response against DFTD and that some devils also had higher cytotoxicity activity against DFTD tumour cells compared to pre-immune levels. These responses were translated in protection against DFTD live cell challenge in one devil, although a re-challenge one year later resulted in tumour growth, indicating that the protection was short-lived.

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