Studying Biological Aging in Dogs

Every mammal species has a lifespan determined and controlled by their genetic make-up. Researchers will look at aging mechanisms in a cohort of retired sled dogs, to detect and measure DNA modifications associated with aging. The team will specifically use a tool called a DNA methylation clock (DMC), a biological test that assesses chemical cell changes as predictors of life expectancy, disease risk and mortality. They will determine the DMC scores in DNA samples collected over time on the sled dogs to learn if DMC can predict remaining lifetime and development of age-related diseases. The team also will evaluate whether DMC could show any difference between dog groups that did and did not receive anti-aging treatments. Findings may highlight the potential of DMC to measure the aging of cells and body– essentially the ability to measure biological age as opposed to chronological age and associated disease risk. In addition, the team will assess if their anti-aging treatments had any effect of DMC.