Aging in Dog Years - The Dog Aging Project

As described in the 1Pager "Longevity Science Lost in Translation ," traditional animal models of aging (mice, worms, flies, etc.) almost always fail to represent chronic and multi-factorial diseases with any meaningful fidelity. This dilemma, coupled with the fact that humans live too long for humans to study lifespan in themselves in an efficient manner, is one of the (if not the) primary challenges in human aging science.

So, what if there was an animal species that shared genetic diversity, lifestyle, and environmental factors similar to humans but aged 5-10x as fast? Yes, a man's (or woman's) best friend comes to mind.

The Dog Aging Project aims to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging.?

The Dog Aging Project (DAP), funded by the National Institute of Aging (NIA), aims to understand how genes, lifestyles, and environments affect aging in dogs and humans. According to a recently published perspective in Nature, the researchers aim to establish the foundation for aging research in dogs using an innovative, community science approach.?

We still have much to learn about the mechanisms that underlie aging at the individual level and how the collage of factors from the biography of exposures to inherited genetics conspire or collaborate, contributing to abrupt or extended healthy living. Most of what is known about the biology of aging comes from laboratory studies of mammals such as mice and rats and invertebrates like fruit flies and nematodes. Many of which are genetically identical to one another. The DAP has turned to the companion dog to understand better how genes and environment affect aging in animals outside of a lab and closer to our life-course experiences to generate knowledge that could more readily translate to human aging.

An ideal animal for studying biological aging may be the companion dog. Dogs' size, shape, and behavior are among the most variable of all animal species. Similarly to humans, dogs have a wide range of life expectancies and diseases. There are many similarities between how companion dogs are diagnosed and treated within a healthcare system, which is similar to how people are diagnosed and treated. Due to their rapid aging, dogs are well-suited for longitudinal and interventional studies since they share the human environment.

All breeds, sizes, and sexes of dogs are included in the DAP-targeted study populations. Every region of the United States can participate in the DAP, including urban, suburban, and rural areas. Data collected by DAP scientists include electronic veterinary medical records, environmental data, genome-wide sequencing, and blood, urine, hair, and feces.

As part of the DAP, a one-year course of weekly low-dose rapamycin is also being tested in dogs, which has been shown to extend lifespan and improve health in mice. (rapamycin will be further described in future 1Pagers). In middle-aged, large-breed dogs, this compound is being tested for its potential to increase lifespan, improve heart and cognitive function, and reduce the incidence of age-related diseases. This represents the first clinical trial of a drug with lifespan and healthspan metrics as endpoints in any species outside of a laboratory.

In addition to making a significant contribution to veterinary medicine, the DAP research initiative holds the potential to transform aging research. In addition to strong and enduring relationships with many stakeholders, the DAP's success depends on strong and enduring relationships with dog owners, veterinarians, and researchers. Therefore, DAP researchers continue to devote considerable effort to participant retention and capturing the diversity of U.S. dog owners that have yet to be fully represented in the study population. In this way, they aim to lay the foundation for innovative, community-based approaches to aging research in man and their best friend.?

Dog owners interested in participating are encouraged to nominate their dog at dogagingproject.org or check out https://loyalfordogs.com/ .?