Colossal Foundation and University of Tasmania Partner to Combat Devil Facial Tumor Disease

The Colossal Foundation has partnered with the University of Tasmania to fight devil facial tumor disease, a contagious cancer that has driven wild Tasmanian devil populations down by roughly 80 percent since it was first discovered in 1996. The new effort runs on two tracks: Andrew Flies of the University of Tasmania is developing an oral vaccine to help the devil’s immune system identify and destroy tumor cells, while researchers investigate LZTR1, a gene linked to two unusual mutations found only in devils that may offer natural resistance.

Before testing in an endangered devil, a safe stand-in is needed. The fat-tailed dunnart, a mouse-sized marsupial and close evolutionary relative of the devil, will fill that role. A dedicated dunnart colony is being established in Hobart using breeding and husbandry methods originally developed for Colossal’s work to bring back the thylacine.

This story is based on original reporting by Reese Watson for Distractify. Read the full feature on Distractify → https://www.distractify.com/p/scientists-help-save-tasmanian-devils