THE ESSENTIAL
- American laboratories are working on drugs to extend the lifespan of dogs.
- One of these pills should be available in early 2025.
- The creators of these projects hope that the pills could work in humans, and thus gain us a few extra years of life.
Can dogs help us gain a few extra years of life? The British newspaper The Guardian reports that American companies have created pills allowing our four-legged companions to live longer. They assume that these drugs could have similar effects in humans.
Anti-aging pill: block insulin peaks to slow down aging
Loyal, a biotechnology start-up, is due to release its pill in early 2025. Called LOY-002, this beef-flavored tablet should allow dogs to live one more year, at least. It works by reversing age-related metabolic changes: the drug blocks increases in insulin caused by aging.
Au Guardianthe founder of this company, Celine Halioua, explains that the stamp could also be interesting for humans. “Figuring out how to prevent age-related decline in dogs is a very strong proxy for doing the same with humans because dogs have similar age-related diseases and share our environments and habits unlike laboratory mice. “she emphasizes. She recalls that the drug is based on an improvement in overall health, to slow down aging. “We don’t make immortal dogs“, she warns. It will be the same in humans.
An immunosuppressant capable of extending the lifespan of dogs
Another American laboratory has launched extensive research on the subject, called Dog Aging Project. The goal is to test rapamycin, an immunosuppressive treatment used after organ transplants, for its effects on longevity. According to the Guardianseveral studies on mice have shown that it is capable of delaying or even curing age-related pathologies.
As part of the Dog Aging ProjectAmerican scientists have demonstrated that low doses of rapamycin can increase the lifespan of dogs, improving both their heart health and cognitive functions by regulating cell growth and metabolism.
“What we’re doing is the equivalent of a 40-year human study, testing the ability of a drug to increase healthy lifespan.”underlines Daniel Promislow, bio-gerontologist at the University of Washington and co-director of the project.
This work made it possible to collect information according to the sex of the dogs, but also before and after sterilization. This could lead to a better understanding of women’s health before and after menopause. “If we succeed with dogs, it could be a turning point in knowing how to deliver additional healthy years of life to human populations.”hopes the bio-gerontologist.
Health
