Word: tumors
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...useful in isolating any potential abnormalities in his heart function, such as a slow heart rate or an irregular heartbeat, that could have contributed to the seizure. CAT scans and MRIs of the brain will also be needed to ensure that Kennedy's episode wasn't caused by a tumor or infection in the brain...
...Tasmanian devils in 1996, the species has been in freefall. At current rates, it's predicted that one of Australia's most unusual animals could vanish from the wild within three years. Spread by biting during mating and one of only three communicable cancers ever seen, devil facial tumor disease has baffled scientists. And as it rages through 60% of the devils' habitat, introduced pests like feral cats and foxes have been taking the place of Tasmania's largest native predator...
...species, soon to be officially listed as endangered, was doomed. Her team's work on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes - which activate an immune response in all vertebrates - confirmed late last year that devils have so little genetic diversity that their immune systems simply don't treat the tumor cells as a threat. That was the grim news from the island's east, where the disease has hit hardest. But it now seems that devils from the more isolated west could be different. It's a distinction that just might save them - and their species. "If you'd asked...
...Good news came first from a devil named Cedric. When tests showed that he had a different MHC type from eastern devils, Cedric was injected with dead tumor cells. The researchers were elated when his body began fighting them. Last December he was injected with live tumor cells. So far, he's still healthy. The Special Six, caught last year, also have MHC types not seen in the east, says immunologist Woods, who's based at the University of Tasmania. "It's never happened before that a disease has spread through a population without some animals being resistant - even Ebola...
...problem is that no one knows how long the incubation period for facial tumor disease is. But every week that passes without Cedric falling sick makes Woods sleep better: "I'm quite confident now that he's immune." Hamish McCallum, the University of Tasmania ecologist coordinating the scientific effort to save the species, is hopeful too, but "we're not in any position, on the basis of one individual, to say we know what's going on," he says. "It's too early to unfurl the 'mission accomplished' banner." If Cedric or any of the Special Six do prove resistant...