Silver foxes: UW researchers recruiting canines for study on aging
Dogs aren't just pets to Seattleites. They're family.
Now, those four-legged family members can help researchers at the University of Washington and elsewhere study canine aging.
The study will be jointly operated by UW School of Medicine and the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, though over a dozen medical and veterinary schools are participating across the country. The idea is to create a national community of dogs, owners and researchers to determine how genes, habits and environment contribute to the longevity and aging process in dogs, according to a UW news release.
Researchers are now working to build that community of dogs. All ages, sizes and locations will be considered, as well as healthy dogs or those with chronic illnesses.
“All owners who complete the nomination process will become Dog Aging Project citizen scientists and their dogs will become members of the Dog Aging Project ‘pack,’” Daniel Promislow, biology of aging expert at UW, said in the release.
“Aging is the major cause of the most common diseases, like cancer and heart problems. Dogs age more rapidly than people do and get many of our same diseases of aging, including cognitive decline,” Matt Kaeberlein, longevity and healthspan researcher at UW Medicine, said in the release. “They also share our living environment and have a diverse genetic makeup. This project will contribute broadly to knowledge about aging in dogs and in people.”
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