Researchers at the University of Washington are studying what may be done to increase the life expectancy of dogs. Daniel Promislow and pathologist Matt Kaeberlein at the school have started the Dog Aging Project. Guest host Patt Morrison interviews Kaeberlein.
Source: KPCC, August 31, 2016.
They want to understand how dogs age and explore if medications can help them live longer.
Source: Smithsonian, August 29, 2016.
The project is also testing whether a compound called Rapamycin can help dogs age better by protecting their cardiovascular health. The team has run a phase-one clinical trial on 25 dogs, putting a third of them on a high dose of Rapramycin, a third on low dose and a third on a placebo. Both the low and high dose groups appeared to show improvement on heart function . . . Data has not yet been submitted for peer review.
INSIGHTS: If nothing else, researchers should be noted for the shear scope of this effort. They’re recruiting for a network of citizen scientists, aka pet owners, veterinarians, researchers and volunteers. Learn more here.