The devil's cancer.

• Autores: Menna E. Jones, Hamish McCallum
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 304, Nº. 6, 2011, págs. 72-77
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The article discusses the fate of an Australian marsupial, the Tasmanian devil, as a result of a contagious cancer called devil facial tumor disease, which has pushed it to the brink of extinction. Topics include a brief overview of how devil behavior plays a role in the transmission of devil facial tumor disease, such as the devils' tendency to bite each other, the role of genetics in cancer transmission, such as a lack of recognition by devils' immune systems due to the genetic similarity among devils, and a description of the conditions under which a human cancer could also become contagious. INSETS: A Fast- Spreading Scourge;How Cancer Becomes "Catching".