A short and rather ugly chap called Cedric could hold the key to the survival of the Tasmanian Devil.

The Devils are of course threatened by a very nasty infectious facial cancer for which they have almost no resistance (see Great Beyond from 2007). A few individuals have been found to have slight resistance but not enough to prevent death (see Nature from 2006).

Now Cedric may represent a step toward salvation for the Devils. After being injected with dead cancer cells he seems to have developed antibodies to the disease. His colleague Clinky was also injected with dead cells did not develop antibodies.

“I think this is the most exciting thing that has happened in this program – the devils could be their own saviours,” says Greg Woods, who is working with Cedric and Clinky on behalf of Save the Tasmanian Devil (various sources, eg: News.com.au, Independent).

Along with fellow researcher Alex Kriess, Woods has inserted live cancer cells into Cedric. So far he’s doing fine (Cedric, not Woods, although Woods is also in good health as far as we know).

“They haven’t developed a tumour so far. We think that Cedric – that’s the devil that has produced an immunity response – we hope that he won’t produce any tumour,” says Kriess (Australia’s ABC News).

Kriess thinks poor old Clinky is doomed but old Cedric will laugh off death.

Image: A Devil (not Cedric) / Getty