Thinker2, I know a little about human cancers and viruses, so I wonder if the scientists are trying to isolate a virus that causes the cancer- -just like the Human Papilloma (Wart) virus that causes cervical cancer in women?

As a result of scientists isolating the wart virus as the cause of cervical cancer, they were able to create a vaccine which was given to many school girls and young women over the past few years.
It may well mean the beginning of the end of all cervical cancers. Wonderful news.

The tiny amount of the virus injected into the healthy devils may cause their immune system to create natural antibodies to the virus, thereby gaining information on how to make a vaccine to give to all the healthy devils we have left.
These test devils may not even develop cancer themselves.
Just a thought.

Dear thinker 2,

I can understand your concern for these
threatened animals. However here's
some positive news:

http://www.physorg.com/news203833837.html

"Genome breakthrough for cancer-hit
Tasmanian Devils."

Hope this helps just a little.

thinker2, you are incorrect to conclude that the FTD 'cancer' is not likely to be a contagion. The tumors do not arise in a way that has been seen before. They are not caused by a virus, or pathogen, nor by 'environmental factors', such as poisons.

The cancers have been analysed and found to be genetically identical to each other, but not the same as the 'host' animal. In this way scientists have determined that the tumors/cancer cells are the pathogen themselves and are spread through the animals biting each other. As far as I know, this is the first known case of a transmissible cancer, which could be the basis of your confusion as to the researchers methods in trying to develop a vaccine against the disease. Contrary to your previous statement, injecting cancer cells into an animal is not a sure fire way of giving one cancer. If I injected cancer cells from another person into you, it is exceptionally highly likely that you would not develop cancer and would develop antibodies to the other persons cells. 'Normal' forms of cancer are indeed exacerbated by environmental factors and may also be caused by pathogens.

As far as I can tell, Cedric was not plucked at random and was from a population of Tasmania that appeared resistant to the tumors. If Cedric did indeed develop antibodies to the disease, he could have been the saviour of the rapidly crashing natural populations in Tasmania. Unfortunately he wasn't. It is worth trying again, and the genome information reported in Foxy's link could provide the key.

Thank you Bugsy for your explanation and Foxy thanks as well for the link
cheers

My concerns about Tassie devil research, is that they are a "charisma" species. Getting research funding for an unremarkable native toad or rat would be much more difficult than a cuddly koala or cranky devil...

The other problem is then the fundraiser becomes bigger than the issue itself, like red nose day. Thats probably not so bad if they funnel the extra money they dont really need into other species or conservation in general, but we all know how hard it is to hand over the cash hey...