Researchers have found that the same biological signals which can be used to predict humans’ lifespans can also be found in dogs.
Their findings, discovered as part of the Dog Aging Project in the USA, are expected to help scientists study patterns associated with health outcomes and better understand ageing in humans and dogs.
The study saw researchers analyse blood samples from dogs which had been enrolled in the Dog Aging Project. The community science project had invited owners to share survey information and to submit physical samples from their dog throughout its lifetime.
As part of the study, researchers examined blood samples for any metabolic patterns which are associated with lifespan.
Through this, researchers discovered that patterns of metabolites could be used as a mortality predictor in dogs in the same way as they are used in humans. Metabolites, small chemicals and molecules produced during normal bodily processes, can be used by researchers to study patterns relating to health and outcomes.
The team examined thousands of metabolites at once, which meant they could identify broader signals to predict risk.
However, while these biomarkers can help researchers to anticipate a health outcome, they do not necessarily cause the outcome. Researchers instead utilise this understanding to help identify the cause of the relationship.
Having discovered these metabolic signals in dogs, researchers compared these findings with five published studies on human mortality. This revealed a consistency across the studies, reinforcing the idea that dogs and humans share this fundament of aging biology.
This link between the biology of humans and dogs is expected to have One Health benefits when exploring ageing in humans.
Dogs are considered useful for ageing research since they share many lifestyle factors with humans, including environment, diet and activity levels. Meanwhile their shorter lifespans allow researchers to study the ageing process much quicker than in humans alone.
Kate Creevy, chief veterinary officer at the Dog Aging Project, said: “The molecules that are risky for dogs or protective against a sooner death are very similar to those in people, showing that we share important features of aging biology, which is really interesting and rewarding,”
“Our findings also highlight the value of pet dogs as a model for studying long-term health and lifespan.”
She added: “This is a starting point. We’ve identified these metabolites, and now we know where to start looking.”
Image © Shutterstock.com/Halfpoint
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