Illustration of vaccinating the Tasmanian Devil against a highly contagious form of cancer. Cancer in the Tasmanian Devil is transmitted by bites. The cancer cells produce specific markers (green) but the Tasmanian Devilˇs immune system does not recognise them. The vaccine is produced from these specific cancer proteins. on contact the Tasmanian Devilˇs lymphocytes learn to recognise them. When they are bitten by a Devil who has the illness. the immune system will rapidly go into action to destroy the cancer cells by producing perforin.