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The Dog Aging Project is an innovative research initiative that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine health study in the world. Our work is centered on two fundamental goals: 
  • Understanding how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging
  • Intervening to increase healthspan, the period of life spent free from disease 
We believe what we learn from companion dogs will translate into our knowledge of human health and aging. 

The study is led by Texas A&M, University of Washington, and Tufts University. As of the end of 2024, the Dog Aging Project Pack (longitudinal cohort) included over 50,000 enrolled companion dogs. Each dog owner completes extensive annual surveys about the health and life experiences of their dog, which are augmented by veterinary electronic medical records. From the longitudinal cohort, we invite selected dogs to join one of four additional cohorts. 

The Test of Rapamycin In Aging Dogs (TRIAD), the intervention cohort, will include a total of 580 dogs. TRIAD is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, which at low doses has been shown to extend lifespan in laboratory animals. This is the third and largest trial of rapamycin that our group has conducted. To be eligible for the clinical trial, dogs need to be seven years of age or older, between 44 and 120 pounds, spayed or castrated, and healthy. They will visit a clinical trial site seven times over the three-year trial. 

Lead researchers for TRIAD:
  • Dr. May Reed, MD, FACP, Associate Professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Washington School of Medicine 
  • Dr. Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University 
  • Dr. Rozalyn Anderson, PhD, Professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
  • Dr. Audrey Ruple, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVPM, MRCVS, Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, Virginia Tech, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine 
  • Dr. Daniel Promislow, PhD, Professor, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

 

Tissue from NIA's Nonhuman Primate Tissue Bank is available at no cost to the investigators to conduct aging research studies funded by the NIH, other DHHS organizations, U.S. government agencies outside the NIH and U. S. non-profit organizations. Studies conducted at for-profit entities are not eligible unless they are funded through the U.S. Governments Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. The project name and funding source must accompany all orders. The NIA will not be able to ship non-human primate tissue outside of the United States or US territories.

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