A Tasmanian devil by the name of Cedric may hold the key to future of his species.

[depakid]

He is an extraordinary devil, guinea pig and possible saviour, who is naturally resistant to the contagious facial tumours which have already killed half the devil population in Tasmania.

Cedric was caught by scientists this time last year, which AM reported on at the time. Now it seems he is the best chance yet scientists have to developing a devil-saving vaccine. He and his brother Clinky were injected with the dead facial tumour cells last year. Cedric responded, but Clinky didn't.

A year on, Clinky's reward for having an immune response to the inactive tumours is to get a dose of the real thing. Vet Alex Kriess has injected live tumours into the faces of both devils.

"They haven't developed a tumour so far. We think that Cedric - that's the devil that has produced an immunity response - we hope that he won't produce any tumour," he said.

"Clinky hasn't produced either and we haven't detected any immunity response. What we think is happening, we injected very few cells so it might take a while until they develop anything that we can see."

Mr Kriess expects Clinky will catch the cancer, but Cedric will be immune.

"That would be very good evidence that either we can immunise some devils with the vaccine, or either that some devils might be resistant to the disease," he said.

More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/31/2203515.htm?site=sydney

[aquart]

1. "A devil-saving vaccine..."

I love that.

[Warpy]

2. It appeals to me, too.

:evilgrin:

A friend on Taz says the biggest complaint about the little beasts is the noise they make.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Wouldn't that be an exorcist or some such thing?? This reminds

me of the girl in Resident Evil being resistant to the T Virus. Science fiction vs science fact. Who new?