"Breakthrough: Tasmanian Devil Cancer Vaccine Greenlit for Trials"

Researchers in Australia are set to test a vaccine against devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer that has decimated the Tasmanian devil population. The vaccine, inspired by COVID-19 vaccines, uses a genetically modified adenovirus to deliver proteins that train the immune system to recognize tumour cells. The trial will initially assess safety and immune response, followed by exposure to the disease to test protection. If successful, the vaccine could help protect the devils from extinction and be distributed using an AI-driven bait dispenser. Even partial protection could buy time for the devils to breed and increase their population.