How cancer becomes transmissible in Tasmanian devils: Molecular mechanisms elucidated

(CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences) Facial tumors of Tasmanian devils belong to the extremely rare cases of transmissible cancers. Nevertheless, they are highly interesting for biomedical research, as they allow the study of fundamental properties of cancer cells and their interaction with the host ´ s immune system. Scientists at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Veterinary Medicine and the MedUni Vienna elucidated key molecular mechanisms for the transmissibility of tumor cells.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news