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SUMMARY:Genetics and Evolution of Transmissible Cancers in Dogs and Tasman
 ian Devils - Dr Elizabeth Murchison\, Fellow of Medical Sciences\, King's 
 College\, Cambridge
DTSTART:20120611T183000Z
DTEND:20120611T200000Z
UID:TALK32259@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Nigel Bennee
DESCRIPTION:Each individual cancer is a clonal cell lineage that emerges t
 hrough an evolutionary process when\na single cell of the body acquires so
 matic mutations that drive proliferation and survival. As it\ndevelops\, c
 ancer can spread through the body to invade distant tissues. However\, it 
 does not\nnormally spread or survive outside of the body. Clonally transmi
 ssible cancers are clonal cell\nlineages that survive beyond the deaths of
  their hosts by acquiring adaptations for transmission\nbetween hosts. Rar
 e examples of cancer transmission between humans have been reported due\nt
 o transfer of cancer cells in utero\, by surgical injury\, by experimental
  inoculation and by\ninadvertent transplantation of cancer cells with dona
 ted organs. However\, there are only two\nknown naturally occurring clonal
 ly transmissible cancers that have spread between multiple hosts\nand thes
 e are the transmissible venereal tumour of dogs and the facial tumour of T
 asmanian\ndevils. These two cancers are specialised parasitic clonal cell 
 lineages that spread between\nindividuals through physical contact and hav
 e survived long after the deaths of the animals from\nwhich they originall
 y emerged.\nThe goal of the research is to understand how cancers can beco
 me transmissible and survive in\nmultiple hosts. By studying the genetics 
 and evolution of the canine and Tasmanian devil\ntransmissible cancers it 
 is hoped that changes that allow cancers to survive long-term and to\nevad
 e the immune systems of their hosts will be understood.\n
LOCATION:Wolfson Lecture Theatre\, Churchill College\, Storey's Way\, Camb
 ridge
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