“Dog Aging Project” was founded by aging researchers Drs. Matt Kaeberlein and Daniel Promislow (University of Washington) along with Kate Creevy who is currently the Chief Veterinary Officer.
The goal of the project is to examine how the environment affects healthy aging and longevity in dogs and to test anti-aging treatments. This research has the potential to also impact how we understand environmental risk factors for aging in humans as we share the same environment as our dogs. The group has already studied over 44,000 dogs gathering such data as lifestyle, lifespan, as well as diseases associated with aging.
In another study, the team is exploring whether the drug rapamycin can extend the healthspan (years spent healthy) and lifespan of dogs, as it has in laboratory rodents. Rapamycin is made by Streptomyces hygroscopicus bacteria. It was originally discovered in soil samples from Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, hence the name. In cell cultures, rapamycin was found to stop the cell cycle by inhibiting a protein called mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin). By essentially sensing the environment a cell lives in, it can tell the cell whether to keep growing and reproducing or whether to resist environmental stressors and stop growing. With aging, our ability to detect and fight infection declines while autoimmune diseases increase. Rapamycin is thought to also help stabilize the immune system during aging by retaining the ability to detect and respond to viruses and bacteria as well as preventing autoimmune activity.
Safety trials from Dog Aging Project show no side effects from rapamycin and the dogs appeared to be more active. The group is currently conducting a longer trial of rapamycin in a larger group of dogs with the goal of assessing whether it improves lifespan after only 1 year of treatment.
Paws crossed the treatment will work as well in dogs as it has in laboratory rodents…
Source:
Categories: Aging, Environment, Pets
Tags: dog, immune, longevity, Rapamycin
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 