- Presse
- Pressemeldungen
- Alicia L. Bruzos
Alicia L. Bruzos: Contagious cancers and their spread among marine bivalves
Abstract:
Transmissible cancers, also known as contagious cancers, were first observed in dogs and Tasmanian devils, but have recently been discovered in at least ten bivalve species, such as cockles, clams and mussels. These diseases spread when live cancer cells are transmitted from infected bivalves to healthy individuals, in which they then multiply and form new tumours. In bivalves, the cancer develops in their hemocytes, blood-like cells, and is called hemic neoplasia. These bivalve leukemias behave like metastatic cells, leaving their hosts to spread in the marine environment until they reach a new host and propagate inside it. For this reason, they represent an interesting and unique model to illuminate insights into the general mechanisms of cancer development and metastasis. In my talk, I will present an overview and latest findings of my research on contagious cancers in marine cockles and clams.
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