Tag

Transmissible Cancer

All articles tagged with #transmissible cancer

science1 month ago•16 min saved

Catfish in Vermont Lakes Harbor a Rare Transmissible Cancer

Scientists have identified a clonally transmissible melanoma spreading among brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog and nearby waters across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and New Brunswick, making it the fourth known naturally occurring transmissible cancer. The cancer cells move between fish through close contact (especially during spawning) and possibly via contaminated water or sediment. There is no known risk to humans, but the outbreak could affect local catfish populations and ecosystem health as researchers study its distribution and origins.

via The Times of India|

#catfish #lake-memphremagog #melanoma

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Freshwater cancer hops hosts: transmissible melanoma found in brown bullhead catfish

Researchers report that melanoma in brown bullhead catfish from Lake Memphremagog is a transmissible cancer—the cancer cells spread between fish—marking the first known freshwater transmissible cancer and the fourth in animals; transmission routes are not yet confirmed, the spread has raised conservation concerns, and there is no evidence it can infect humans.

via The Times of India|

#brown-bullhead-catfish #conservation #lake-memphremagog

science1 month ago•48 min saved

Wild brown bullhead catfish reveal first transmissible cancer documented in fish

Scientists studying brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog found melanoma in 23%–37% of sampled fish, and whole-genome sequencing revealed that the tumors across fish are strikingly similar and come from a single cancer cell line, indicating a transmissible cancer—the first known case in fish and the first documented in a freshwater species. The route of transmission is not yet known (close contact during spawning is a possibility), and there is no evidence humans are at risk from these fish or the lake water.

via Yahoo|

#brown-bullhead-catfish #genome-sequencing #lake-memphremagog

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Wild Catfish Carry First Known Case of Transmissible Cancer, Study Finds

Researchers studying brown bullhead catfish from Lake Memphremagog found a high rate of melanoma and, using whole-genome sequencing, evidence that the tumors in multiple fish are from a single cancer cell lineage that appears to spread between fish, marking the first known transmissible cancer in a fish and in a freshwater setting. Transmission may occur during close contact such as spawning, though the exact route isn’t proven. There’s no evidence this cancer affects humans or other species, but the finding could help scientists understand how cancer cells evade the immune system and persist across hosts.

via ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos|

#catfish #genome-sequencing #lake-memphremagog

science1 month ago•64 min saved

Lake Memphremagog Catfish Carry Transmissible Cancer, Study Finds

A Nature study confirms brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog host a transmissible cancer in which cancer cells spread between fish like a parasite. It’s only the fourth documented case of a contagious cancer in the animal kingdom. The tumors appear as black lesions; surveys from 2014–2017 found about 25–33% of the lake’s brown bullhead infected. Transmission mode is not yet known (spawn-related spread suspected), but researchers say it does not appear to pass to other species and poses no threat to human health. Further work is needed to understand spread and population impact.

via AOL.com|

#catfish #lake-memphremagog #nature

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Transmissible Melanoma Detected in Freshwater Catfish

Researchers identified the first known cancer transmissible among freshwater fish in Lake Memphremagog: a clonal melanoma in brown catfish that shares a tumor-specific genetic identity across individuals. Genome sequencing showed tumor cells were more related to each other than to their hosts, suggesting the cancer itself spreads between fish rather than arising independently. No virus or bacteria was linked, though several transmission pathways are proposed (e.g., close contact during spawning or tumor cells persisting in water). Arsenic levels correlate with cancer distribution but are not proven causal. The finding could offer new insights into how cancers survive and spread.

via WIRED|

#catfish #freshwater #genomics

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Transmissible Melanoma Found in Memphremagog's Freshwater Fish

UVM researchers report that brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog carry a transmissible melanoma, with cancer cells moving between fish like parasites. DNA from cancers is more similar across individuals than to the fish, marking the first documented case of a transmissible cancer in freshwater fish. The disease is widespread in the lake, shows no proven link to local pollution, and poses no known risk to humans; the study, published in Nature, could illuminate how cancers evolve and spread.

via Seven Days Vermont|

#cancer-evolution #freshwater-fish #lake-memphremagog

science1 month ago•51 min saved

Contagious cancer lineage uncovered in brown bullhead melanoma

Genomic analyses of brown bullhead melanomas from Lake Memphremagog show a single clonal cancer lineage spreading among fish, marking the first confirmed transmissible cancer in a freshwater fish. Tumour mitochondrial and nuclear DNA are more similar across affected fish than to their hosts, with many shared tumour-specific variants and no associated microbes detected, suggesting cancer cells themselves are the infectious agent. The findings raise questions about origin, transmission mechanisms, and potential ecological impacts on brown bullhead populations.

via Nature|

#brown-bullhead-melanoma #freshwater-ecology #genomics

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Freshwater Catfish Harbor the World’s First Contagious Cancer

Researchers in Vermont found a contagious form of melanoma in brown bullhead catfish from Lake Memphremagog. Genomic analysis showed tumors shared hundreds of thousands of variants across fish that weren’t present in healthy tissue, indicating an infectious cancer—the first documented in fish and freshwater animals. Transmission details remain unclear (spawning or environmental factors like arsenic may play a role), and while not dangerous to humans, the cancer raises questions about immune evasion and cancer biology.

via Gizmodo|

#cancer #fish #freshwater-biology

science2 years ago•4 min saved

"Shellfish Face Ancient Cancer Epidemic: A Virus-Like Spread Unveiled"

Scientists have discovered two strains of an ancient form of leukemia-like cancer that spreads among shellfish, similar to how Tasmanian devils and dogs transmit cancer cells. The transmissible tumor cells float in the water and are taken up by clams, multiplying and replicating in their hosts before escaping to attack others. This discovery raises the possibility that there may be more forms of transmissible cancer in the animal kingdom, posing a potential threat to humans. The research also revealed that the cancer cells in shellfish exhibit highly variable amounts of genetic material, challenging the belief that cancers require stable genomes to survive long-term.

via Daily Mail|

#animal-kingdom #genetic-mutations #potential-threat-to-humans