Is cancer transmissible? Teachings from Tasmanian devils

The Tasmanian devils, a unique species of marsupial, are on the brink of extinction - not due to human influence but to a fascinating biological phenomenon: a transmissible facial tumour. This unusual form of cancer, which is passed from animal to animal through bites, has already wiped out 80-90% of the population. But how is it possible for cancer cells to be transferred between individuals? This phenomenon is not limited to Tasmanian devils - similar cases have also been documented in dogs, while no transmissible forms of cancer are known in humans. The lecture sheds light on this peculiarity of nature and explains in an understandable way how our immune system usually recognises and fights cancer cells. Modern immunotherapies based on these natural defence mechanisms will also be presented.

Speaker: Prof. Dr Andreas Bergthaler, Medical University of Vienna and Austrian Academy of Sciences

Andreas Bergthaler studied veterinary medicine at the Vetmeduni Vienna and completed his doctorate under Hans Hengartner and Nobel Prize winner Rolf Zinkernagel at the Institute for Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich. Since 2011, he has headed a research group at the CeMM Research Centre for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. Since 2022, Andreas Bergthaler has been Professor of Molecular Immunology at MedUni Vienna and Head of the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Centre for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)