Evaluating Use of Human Immunotherapies in the Treatment of Cancer in Tasmanian Devils

Already critically endangered, the Tasmanian devil has experienced an 85 percent decline due to transmissible devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). In human cancer clinical trials, immunotherapy targeting cell surface signalling molecules has recently yielded unprecedented response rates, yet this immunotherapy technique has not yet been evaluated for DFTD. By translating the proven human immunotherapies into immunotherapies to treat DFTD, researchers will be able to rapidly test new treatments for DFTD. Results from this study could be critical for developing a vaccine that could induce tumor regression in infected devils. If even a small number of wild devils can be saved by this treatment, it will help to maintain genetic diversity and behavioral patterns in wild populations. This Fellowship Training Grant will also support a veterinarian earning his PhD.