If you had to pick a dream job, what would it be? Probably something well paid, and probably something where you got to play with dogs all day. Yep, that sound about right to me. Well, we think some scientists have found a way to live their dream life while also helping the world, and boy are we impressed.
The aptly named Dog Aging Project is looking to recruit 10,000 of the bestest boys and girls to take place in a study helping us to understand how humans and doggos age. That’s right, Rex is going to help teach us how HUMANS age. Because of the close link between our species, dog’s have developed immune systems that are increasingly similar to humans in their complexity. By studying our fluffy friends, scientists can get a better idea of how environmental factors affect human aging.
Once the initial results are in, a further 500 of the fluffies will be given extra special treatment, getting a dose of an experimental anti-aging drug called rapamycin that has shown positive results in mice and rats. To be extra careful, the researchers are only giving the biggest of the doggos the drugs.
“What we learn will potentially be good for dogs and has great potential to translate to human health,” Daniel Promislow, project co-director and aging researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told NBC News.
Interested parties are asked to fill out a link to the survey, giving brief information about their dogs habits and environments. There is no cost to participating beyond you annual vet check up.
Is your doggo up to the task? If so, you can follow the link to the survey.