“What we learn,” says Daniel Promislow, co-director of the largest-ever study of aging in canines, “will potentially be good for dogs and has great potential to translate to human health.â€� Promislow and his colleagues at the University of Washington School of Medicine are looking for 10,000 contributors.
According to this article from the Associated Press, the project will “collect a pile of pooch data: vet records, DNA samples, gut microbes and information on food and walks. Five hundred dogs will test a pill that could slow the aging process.”
An example of how studying dogs could lead to benefits for human health: If scientists find a genetic marker for a type of cancer in dogs, research in humans could follow.
As a participant, your dog will visit the vet once per year and take surveys. Results are studied by a bioethicist and a panel of animal welfare advisers.
Interested in having your pup participate? Visit the Dog Aging Project’s Web site here.