# Dog Aging Project > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dog_Aging_Project > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dog_Aging_Project.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Aging_Project > Source revision: 1356165383 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **Dog Aging Project** is a long-term biological study of [aging](/source/Aging) in dogs, centered at the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington).[1] Professors [Daniel Promislow](/source/Daniel_Promislow) and [Matt Kaeberlein](/source/Matt_Kaeberlein) are the co-directors of the project. Together with Chief Veterinarian, Dr. [Kate Creevy](/source/Kate_Creevy),[2] the project primarily focuses on research to understand [dog aging](/source/Aging_in_dogs) through the collection and analysis of [big data](/source/Big_data) through [citizen science](/source/Citizen_science). Additionally, there is a small component of the project that explores the use of [pharmaceuticals](/source/Pharmaceuticals) to potentially increase [life span](/source/Longevity) of dogs. The project has implications for improving the life spans of humans and is an example of [geroscience](/source/Geroscience).[3][4] The project engages the general public to register their dogs in the studies, and therefore the project is an example of [citizen science](/source/Citizen_science).[3] As of 2022 nearly 40,000 dogs have been registered with the project.[1] The majority of the dogs will participate in a [longitudinal study](/source/Longitudinal_study) of 10,000 dogs over a 10-year period conducted across the United States. Individual dogs are followed for the duration of their lives to understand the biological and environmental factors that influence dog longevity. A small subset of those dogs (approximately 500) will be enrolled in a [double-blind](/source/Double-blind), [placebo-controlled study](/source/Placebo-controlled_study) of the pharmaceutical [rapamycin](/source/Rapamycin), which has shown signs of extending longevity in species such as mice. The Dog Aging Project is an [open science](/source/Open_science) initiative. The investigators have committed to releasing all [anonymized](/source/Anonymize) research data to the [public domain](/source/Public_domain). The longitudinal study portion of the Dog Aging Project bears some similarity to the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study of the [Morris Animal Foundation](/source/Morris_Animal_Foundation) although with much larger [phenotypic diversity](/source/Phenotypic_heterogeneity).[5][6] The entire project also shares operational similarities to Darwin's Ark, a citizen science initiative of companion animals with more specific focus on [genetics](/source/Genetics). The initiatives are each managed to ensure the data can be integrated into a powerful master data set. A premise of the project is that dogs may be a [sentinel species](/source/Sentinel_species) for humans since they live in the same environment as humans. The project may thereby help identify [risk factors](/source/Risk_factors) that influence human life span.[3] Since dogs age significantly more rapidly than humans, data on aging can be generated much more rapidly using a [dog model](/source/Animal_model) than in human studies.[4] A further premise is that the longitudinal portion of the project seeks to understand the underlying biology of aging, as opposed to understanding individual age-related diseases. In this respect, if the aging process itself is addressed, then several age-related diseases could be delayed or avoided simultaneously. This is important because [elderly individuals](/source/Geriatrics) often have multiple [chronic disease](/source/Chronic_disease) conditions.[4] The Dog Aging Project was founded in 2014[1][7] and received a US$200,000 [seed grant](/source/Seed_grant) from the University of Washington. It has also received funding from small private donors,[7] an example of [crowdfunding](/source/Crowdfunding). In 2017 the project reported the results of a 10-week trial showing that a small number of dogs that received rapamycin had better heart function than a [control group](/source/Control_group).[8][1] As of 2018, the [National Institute on Aging](/source/National_Institute_on_Aging) awarded the Dog Aging Project a five-year grant to support further studies. Researchers from the [Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences](/source/Texas_A%26M_College_of_Veterinary_Medicine_%26_Biomedical_Sciences) are also investigators in the study.[9] ## External links - [Dog Aging Project website](http://dogagingproject.org/) - The [Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute](https://halo.dlmp.uw.edu/) of the University of Washington - [Golden Retriever Lifetime Study](https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/golden-retriever-lifetime-study) ## References 1. Ogden, Lesley Evans (27 July 2022). ["Inside the brains of aging dogs"](https://knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2022/inside-brains-aging-dogs). *Knowable Magazine*. [doi:10.1146/knowable-072622-1](https://doi.org/10.1146/knowable-072622-1). Retrieved 10 August 2022. 1. ["Our Team"](https://dogagingproject.org/our-team/). *Dog Aging Project*. Retrieved 10 August 2022. 1. Matchar, Emily (August 29, 2016). ["The Dog Aging Project Wants to Help Your Pet Live Longer"](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/dog-aging-project-wants-help-your-pet-live-longer-180960263/). *Smithsonian Magazine*. Retrieved 8 June 2017. 1. Harmon, Amy (May 16, 2016). ["Dogs Test Drugs Aimed at Humans' Biggest Killer: Age"](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/us/aging-research-disease-dogs.html). *The New York Times*. New York Times. Retrieved 8 June 2017. 1. Vogelsang, Jessica. ["Rapamycin: A real fountain of youth?"](http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/rapamycin-real-fountain-youth). *veterinarynews.360dvm.com*. UBM Life Sciences, Veterinary. Retrieved 9 June 2017. 1. Golbeck, Jennifer (3 April 2015). ["Sick as a Dog?"](http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/04/the_golden_retriever_lifetime_study_and_the_future_of_human_medicine.html). *slate.com*. The Slate Group. Retrieved 9 June 2017. 1. Doughton, Sandi (2 November 2014). ["UW scientists seek to extend dogs' lives with anti-aging drug"](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uw-scientists-seek-to-extend-dogsrsquo-lives-with-anti-aging-drug/). *The Seattle Times*. Retrieved 10 August 2022. 1. Filler, Lane (May 18, 2016). ["It's a Dog's Life. That Could be Great"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160519111154/http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/lane-filler/it-s-a-dog-s-life-that-could-be-great-1.11809916). Newsday. Archived from [the original](http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/lane-filler/it-s-a-dog-s-life-that-could-be-great-1.11809916) on May 19, 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017. 1. Kim, Allen (November 15, 2019). ["Wanted: 10,000 Dogs for the Largest-Ever Study on Aging in Canines"](https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/14/health/dog-aging-project-scn-trnd/index.html). Warner Media. cnn.com. Retrieved 6 February 2020. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dog Aging Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Aging_Project) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Aging_Project?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.