Sled Dogs to Play an Important Role in Senescence Research

Sled dogs Photo by Ali Inay on Unsplash

A biophysics PhD and retired professor of veterinary medicine, Dr. A. Morrie Craig spent 20 years leading a research lab at Oregon State University. Dr. Morrie Craig’s research encompassed many areas of veterinary toxicology, particularly in sheep ruminal microbiota. He has also worked for many years in canine drug testing and received the Tom Cooley Memorial Research Award from the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association.

Sled dogs are showing their value yet again as research subjects, as they have been chosen to participate in aging studies. Reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, a group of HIV medications that have shown great promise in treating age-related diseases, are going to be tested on sled dogs to create a proof of concept for the studies.

While increasing the healthy lifespan of dogs is a worthy cause in its own right, these trials are meant to pave the way for human testing and the eventual development of drugs designed to reverse or inhibit some of the effects of aging. Sled dogs are ideal candidates because they have strictly controlled diets which are typically monitored closely, and their organisms resemble humans’ in important ways.