New Drug Could Help Dogs Live Longer
Trending News: Scientists Are Testing A Drug To Help Your Dog Live Longer
Why Is This Important?
Because pets really do become part of our families.
Long Story Short
Scientists are testing rapamycin, a drug typically used to prevent organ transplant rejection, on dogs. So far, the drug appears to be improving function and extending their lives by 2-3 years.
Dogs make great pets, almost as good as cats. Heck dogs can even help you find a ladyfriend. But there's a problem with dogs (and all pets, really): They die. Whether it's because of natural biology or the fact that dogs as a species are too stupid to figure out their own, personalized form of medicine, we invariably outlive our dogs, and then you have to dig a hole in the back yard, and it becomes a whole thing. But now, science is beginning to test the benefits of a commonly used drug with a lot of promise — their early results indicate that rapamycin could extend a dog's life by 2-3 years.
Rapamycin is typically given to humans who undergo organ transplants, and it helps prevent the body from rejecting the foreign, life-saving organs. But after early studies found that smaller doses of the drug proved to extend the lifespans of animals like mice and worms, a group called the Dog Aging Project began testing rapamycin on a group of 32 dogs aged 6 or older. And so far, things are looking up.
Since they've begun short-term (10 week) testing on Seattle-area dogs, the Dog Aging Project has found that rapamycin has had positive impact on the initial markers they're studying, including blood chemistry, microbiome and cardiac function. In the second phase of the trial, which will include longer treatment regimens, the researchers will look for rapamycin's effects on age-related parameters like cognitive function, heart function, immunity and cancer incidence.
It's too early to tell much, but the early results are promising enough that the Dog Aging Project believes that within 5 years, rapamycin will be able to extend our dogs' lives by a solid 2-5 years. Even better: If this proves to be a success, the next step would be to test lower doses of rapamycin on humans to see if it has similar effects.
Imagine, you and man's best friend, living well beyond your prescribed years hopped up on a cocktail of organ replacement drugs. In the meantime, you could just get a cat, which live longer anyway.
Own The Conversation
Ask The Big Question
Will these extra years be quality years for the dog?
Disrupt Your Feed
There's no reason modern medicine can't take a little time out to improve the lives of our pets, too.
Drop This Fact
Presently, the average lifespan for a healthy dog is anywhere from 10-13 years (cats live 15 years).