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Cancer Immunology pp 419–428Cite as

Cancer Immunology of Transmissible Cancers

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Abstract

Diseases caused by clonally transmissible cancers are exceedingly rare in nature with only two know cases: canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) and devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). In this chapter, we discuss what is known about the transmissibility, pathology and immunology of these diseases. We explore how these unusual cancers overcome immune defences to survive in an unrelated host. While these two diseases differ in many aspects of their pathology and immunology, commonalities provide insights into suitable conditions for emergence of transmissible cancers. By studying the evolutionary trajectories of these cancers, we can provide insights into immune evasion of cancers and suggest that DFTD and CTVT are good models for human cancer research.

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Acknowledgements

Our research was supported by the Australian Research Council. KMM is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. KB is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Rm 505, RMC Gunn Building (B19), Regimental Dr. Camperdown, Sydney, 2006, NSW, Australia

    Katrina Marie Morris BAnVetBioSc, PhD & Katherine Belov BSc, PhD

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  1. Katrina Marie Morris BAnVetBioSc, PhD
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  2. Katherine Belov BSc, PhD
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Correspondence to Katherine Belov BSc, PhD .

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  1. Children's Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Tehran, Iran

    Nima Rezaei

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Morris, K.M., Belov, K. (2015). Cancer Immunology of Transmissible Cancers. In: Rezaei, N. (eds) Cancer Immunology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44006-3_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44006-3_22

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