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Turtle study provides insights into tumour diseases
Scientists have successfully reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles to grow a virus called chelonid herpesvirus 5.

Scientists engineer turtle skin to grow tumour-associated virus

Scientists are a step closer to fighting viral diseases that threaten endangered animals and humans, thanks to a new study led by US Geological Survey.

In a collaborative project, scientists reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles, marking the first time this has ever been achieved in a non-mammal. In turn, this helped them to grow a tumour-associated virus to better understand certain human diseases.

In the study, scientists successfully reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles to grow a virus called chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). ChHV5 is linked to fibropapillomatosis (FP), a devastating tumour disease that can harm turtles’ immune systems, leading to secondary infections, emaciation and death.

“Fibropapillomatosis is the most common infectious disease affecting endangered green turtles,” explained Thierry Work, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “Our findings provide a significant advancement in studying FP, and may eventually help scientists better understand other herpes virus-induced tumour diseases, including those of humans.”

Writing in the Journal of Virology, researchers describe how they used cells from tumours and normal skin from turtles to reconstruct the complex structure of turtle skin. Growing the virus gave scientists the opportunity to observe the virus replication in unprecedented detail.

While the existence of ChHV5 has been known for more than 20 years, the inability to grow the virus in the laboratory has hampered efforts to understand ChHV5.

“Examining viruses within the complex three-dimensional structure of engineered skin is exciting, because virus replication in such a system is likely much closer to reality than traditional laboratory techniques,” Work said. “This method could be a powerful tool for answering broader questions about virus-induced tumours in reptiles and herpes virus replication in general.”

The USGS study involved researchers from the University of Hawaii, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Zurich.

Image (C) Brocken Inaglory

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.