Application for Scientific Permit – Available for Public Comment
Public comment on the following application for a Scientific Research (Fauna) Permit is open until 8 July
Applicant: The Wild Immunology Research group, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania
Species/Taxon: Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)
Location: Private land (Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary)
Title of research: Devil facial tumour vaccine and immunotherapy
Aim of project: To perform vaccine trials in healthy devils at the Wild Immunology Devil facility at Bonorong to quantify the devil immune response to the vaccine and the safety of the viral vector. These initial trials will allow us to determine if the viral vector is safe to use and can induce a strong immune response in devils. Additionally, it will allow us to determine how long the virus could persist in a devil.
Justification: The primary threat to Tasmanian devils is devil facial tumour disease. A vaccine that protects against DFTD would mitigate this threat. Research advancing the understanding of DFTD and the devils’ immune response to it is essential for successful DFTD vaccine development.
Maximum likely numbers of individuals involved: 28
Activities undertaken and methods: Animals will be administered the vaccine via intramuscular injection or via direct instillation into the oral cavity (DIOC). Devils will be housed in individual enclosures. Control animals will receive PBS injection (0.5 mL) in the masseter muscle, at the same time points as the intramuscular injection vaccinated group. Devils will be vaccinated against DFTD using an adenoviral vector (similar to the COVID vaccine), encoding DFTD antigens. Devils will be anaesthetised for blood collections and vaccine administration, every 2-4 weeks. Some animals will be challenged with live DFTD cells, to determine whether the vaccine was protective. If these animals develop tumours, we will try an immunotherapy protocol, which could make the tumour be killed by their immune system.
Fate of animals: Animals that were not challenged with live tumour cells will be transferred to other institutions as display animals or stay in the enclosures until the end of their lives. Devils that were challenged with live tumour cells will remain in the facility.
Likely impact on species involved (including any by-catch): we expect only mild side effects from the adenovirus vector, similar to what is observed in humans or other species that received adenoviral vector vaccines. At least four devils will serve as controls and therefore will develop DFTD tumours. We will try to mitigate the disease impacts of any devils that develop tumours in the immunotherapy trial and strict measures are in place to safeguard their welfare if a tumour grows.