Saving Tasmanian Devils From A New Form of Life–Themselves

Tasmanian devils have given rise to a weird new quasi-form of life: a cancer that spreads from animal to animal like a parasite. In tomorrow's New York Times, I report on the latest analysis of devil's facial tumour disease, published in this week's Science. Scientists have now tracked down the cancer to its progenitor: nerve cells known as Schwann cells.

Now scientists can use this evolutionary history to design diagnostic tests for the cancer and perhaps even vaccines. Let's hope they...