Genomic research may be key to understanding cancer resistance in Tasmanian devils
Published Date: 3/12/2024
Source: phys.org
Over the past 30 years, Australia's Tasmanian devil population has been afflicted with an infectious cancer that has pushed the species to near extinction. The marsupials are highly susceptible to devil facial tumor disease, which is almost always fatal to their species. The genomic interactions between the disease and its host correlate with how quickly a susceptible animal becomes infected after exposure to the pathogen.