[Craig]

WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR DOG A PILL IF IT PROMISED TO MAKE THEM LIVE LONGER?

AND WHAT IF THAT SAME DRUG COULD MAKE YOU LIVE LONGER? 

SCIENTISTS AT SAN FRANCISCO STARTUP “LOYAL” CREATED A BEEF-FLAVORED DAILY PILL – CALLED LOY-002 (LOY TWO) THAT THEY SAY CAN GIVE SENIOR DOGS AT LEAST ONE EXTRA YEAR OF LIFE … REDUCING FRAILTY BY CURBING AGING-RELATED INCREASES IN INSULIN.

THE FOUNDER OF LOYAL … CELINE HALIOUA NOW BELIEVES THEIR DISCOVERY WILL BENEFIT HUMANS TOO … TELLING THE GUARDIAN … 

“FINDING OUT HOW TO PREVENT CANINE AGE-RELATED DECLINE IS A REALLY STRONG PROXY FOR DOING THE SAME WITH HUMANS BECAUSE DOGS GET SIMILAR AGE-RELATED DISEASES, AND SHARE OUR ENVIRONMENTS AND HABITS IN WAYS LABORATORY MICE DO NOT.”

THE DRUG IS CURRENTLY BEING TESTED IN A NATIONWIDE STUDY TO EVALUATE ITS SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REAL-WORLD VETERINARY SETTINGS WITH PETS.

IT’S NOT CLEAR IF HUMAN TESTING WILL HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON, BUT LOYAL PLANS TO LAUNCH THE PILL FOR DOGS EARLY NEXT YEAR.

MEANWHILE, A SIMILAR GOAL IS BEING LOOKED INTO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON – BUT WITH A HUMAN DRUG THAT COULD ALSO HELP DOGS. 

RESEARCHERS WITH “THE DOG AGING PROJECT” ARE STUDYING RAPAMYCIN –  WHICH IS COMMONLY USED IN HUMAN ORGAN TRANSPLANTS.

RESEARCHERS BELIEVE LOW DOSES COULD EXTEND CANINE LIFESPANS BY THREE YEARS WHILE IMPROVING HEART AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS.

RESULTS FROM THE PROJECT ARE EXPECTED IN FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.

FOR SAN – I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI. 

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