Domestic dogs they live on average between 10 and 15 years; The cats are closer to 15, and in some cases they can even reach 20. A lot or little? If you ask their masters they will always answer you “Too little”. A widespread feeling that is also inspiring a new trend of scientific research (and technological), as told in a long study from Guardian.
Is it therefore possible to stretch the life of dogs and cats? The answer is “yes”, at least according to what a series of companies and start-ups specialized in animal longevity say.
How does aging slow down? At the moment the most important start-up regarding the research on the longevity of dogs and cats is Loyal, based in San Francisco, which is working on a hormone present in large quantities in large dogs, which have a lower life expectancy than the smaller ones.
The hormone is called IGF-1, regulates cell growth and Loyal is trying to understand If it is possible to adjust it not only when the dogs are still small (which in this case will remain such for life), but also When they have already stopped growing. Even if you could not slow down aging, Loyal believes this therapy can help prevent many forms of cancerone of the most frequent causes of death in dogs.
Waiting for the pill … The Dog Aging Project, on the other hand, a consortium of research workshops that are conducting a multi -year study on the aging of dogs and cats, is focusing on the Rapamycina drug used to prevent the rejection of the transplanted organs and which could also have effects on the longevity of animals – as already shown for worms and mice.
All these projects, however, must not distract from simpler and more logical methods: anyone who studies the duration of the life of dogs and cats agrees that The best way to lengthen it is to guarantee them a balanced dietone active lifestyle and regular health checks. If then in the future a pill to make them live longer, would you include it would arrive on the market?
