We turn to dogs for companionship, friendship and unconditional loyalty. Beyond psychological support, they may also hold the keys to healthy aging. On March 22, the CBS TV show, 60 Minutes aired a segment, “Why dogs are ideal for studying human aging”. It spotlighted the Dog Aging Project an initiative focused on unlocking secrets to a longer, healthier life for humans, and our furry friends.
Dogs are living longer due to healthier lifestyles, better diets and improved medical care and face many age-related diseases like ours, including dementia. Dogs’ brains are amazingly similar to ours thus making them great natural models for tracking how brain conditions naturally progress. Since dogs age faster than humans, the adage- one human year equals seven dog years- means researchers can observe aging processes far more quickly and draw meaningful parallels.
The segment also highlighted Loyal, a company founded by Celine Halioua, developing drugs to aid in the healthy aging and life extension of dogs. Loyal has raised $250 million to fund its efforts to bring its pipeline products to market, notably LOY-002. To date, the FDA has accepted key safety data for LOY-002 and has granted a reasonable expectation of effectiveness, however results from the clinical trial won’t be known for several more years.
Our four-legged family members already enrich our lives. Now, they are paving the way for us to enjoy longer, healthier physical lives.
Randy Freides
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