The fountain of youth has always been a fantasy that captures people’s imagination. What would life be like if we never aged? Although it seems far-fetched, this fantasy could be closer to reality than we think. A new study, titled the Dog Aging Project, examines how lifestyle and environment influence aging in dogs and uses this research to learn about aging-related diseases in humans. One of the most promising aspects of the study is the clinical trial of a new drug that has the potential to increase life expectancy.
What is the Dog Aging Project?
Founded in 2014, the Dog Aging Project was created after researchers found that dogs are reliable models for aging, since humans and dogs suffer from many of the same aging-related diseases. They also share similar environments. Through analyzing dog blood samples, gathering data about diets, and conducting MRIs of dogs’ brains, the Dog Aging Project examines how daily habits impact long-term health.
The information collected through the initiative is sent to a database accessible to researchers globally. So far, this data has been utilized in over 50 scientific studies, with many discoveries highlighting the connection between lifestyle and disease. The data is also being used to identify similarities between “doggy dementia” and human dementia, which have very similar biological effects.
Increasing Life Expectancy
In addition to researching human and dog disease risks, scientists are also testing the drug rapamycin, which has been shown to increase life expectancy and even reverse age-related diseases among mice.
The Dog Aging Project began its longitudinal study in 2019, involving 12 dogs with signs of dementia. The goal of the study is to observe how low doses of the drug affect the metabolic and cognitive health of canines. Results revealed that the brains of dogs who took the drug have less inflammation commonly associated with dementia.
Our study is light-years ahead of anything that’s been done on humans or can be done on humans. What we’re doing is the equivalent of a 40-year-long study on humans, testing the ability of a drug to increase healthy lifespan. — Daniel Promislow, a co-director of the project.
More recently, the Dog Aging Project received $7 million in funds from the National Institutes of Health, which allows the project to conduct a larger, more comprehensive clinical trial. The trial will give over 500 dogs either rapamycin or a placebo to observe how the drug can increase lifespan. There are over 20 clinical testing sites across the country.
In order to be eligible for the study, a dog must be at least 7 years old and weigh 44 pounds. The clinical trial is expected to finish in three to four years.
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