How soon could we have a vaccine for Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease?
A beloved Aussie icon continues to face a fight for its future – but there could soon be good news.
Tasmania
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Researchers will soon be able to trial a vaccine for the deadly Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease, and if all goes to plan, it could be helping the marsupials in as little as four years.
The research is made possible by grant funding raised by the Save the Tasmanian devil Appeal, which has this year awarded $320,000 across nine grants.
Associate professor immunology at Menzies Institute for Medical Research Andrew Flies said his team received five grants for research into the facial tumour disease.
The researchers are working on developing a ‘bait vaccine’, a cure that would work when eaten by the devils.
“The first iteration we have ready to go, we have to make enough for trials which would be in 22 captive devils then we need the permits to do that,” Professor Flies said.
“The vaccine we’ve had in hand for about a year and a half … We’re hoping to be testing around October, we expect a few trials.”
He said if all went to plan a ‘field ready vaccine’ could be closer than ever before.
“The earliest we would take something out the field is still three or four years away, depending on how things go,” he said.
“I can’t say with any certainty if it will work, but if it can be done I think we’ll get it done.”
“If it doesn’t we’ll still learn a lot from it.”
Professor Flies said the research built on previous trials.
“A different type of vaccine was trialled 8-10 years ago,” he said.
“That did not stop the devils getting tumours, but it could reduce tumour regression.”
He said other research, enabled by the grant funding, would focus on different areas.
“We have another grant, we’d want to take [the research] to the field,” he said.
“The goal would be to prevent the tumour from forming in devils … that’s looking more in the future.
“Some of the other grants will allow us to thoroughly dissect this vaccine trial.
“The more trials we can do the more closer we get.
He said the grants allowed the team to continue their work.
“To the people who have donated from $1 to big donations we try and make good use of it,” he said.
“We’ve got great support, we’re grateful for the opportunity to try and help devils.”
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Originally published as How soon could we have a vaccine for Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease?
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