科學家需要你的狗的幫助

科學家需要你的狗的幫助

The most unfair thing about owning a dog is how short your pet's life span is compared to yours. We all want our dogs to live long, healthy, happy lives, and that's the focus of a massive data-gathering project that is currently recruiting.

養(yǎng)狗最不公平的地方就是你的寵物的壽命比你的要短。我們都希望我們的狗能活得長久、健康、快樂，這是目前正在招募的一個大型數據收集項目的重點。

Researchers are hoping to understand how genetics, lifestyle and environment play a part in aging. (Photo: Holly Michele/Shutterstock)

The national Dog Aging Project plans to track 10,000 pets across the U.S. for 10 years to learn why some live longer, healthier lives than others. The goal is to understand how genes, lifestyle and environment play a part in aging. The project is recruiting now, looking for owners of all types of dogs to nominate their pets to take part in the citizen scientist project.

國家狗狗老化項目計劃在10年內追蹤美國各地的1萬只寵物，以了解為什么有些寵物壽命更長、更健康。研究的目標是了解基因、生活方式和環(huán)境如何在衰老過程中發(fā)揮作用。該項目現在正在招募，尋找所有類型的狗的主人提名他們的寵物參加公民科學家項目。

When you and your dog become part of the project, you'll be asked to fill out surveys about your dog's health and experiences. You'll send a saliva sample for genetic testing. You may be asked to complete specific activities with your pet and then report back about he performed. You may be asked to have your veterinarian send blood, urine and other samples at your annual visit.

當你和你的狗成為項目的一部分，你將被要求填寫關于你的狗的健康和經驗的調查。你要送唾液樣本做基因測試。您可能會被要求完成與您的寵物的具體活動，然后報告他的執(zhí)行情況。你可能會被要求讓你的獸醫(yī)在你每年的訪問中送血液，尿液和其他樣本。

A small number of dogs will be asked to take part in a clinical trial for rapamycin, an immunomodulatory agent used in humans for decades in cancer treatment and to prevent organ transplant rejection. Low doses of rapamycin have made mice live longer and more healthy lives, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. In earlier 10-week trials with dogs, researchers found no side effects with low doses of rapamycin, reports Medium.

一小部分狗將被要求參加雷帕霉素的臨床試驗。雷帕霉素是一種免疫調節(jié)劑，在人類癌癥治療和防止器官移植排斥反應中使用了數十年。據美國獸醫(yī)協(xié)會稱，低劑量的雷帕霉素使老鼠活得更久、更健康。據Medium網站報道，在早些時候對狗進行的10周試驗中，研究人員發(fā)現低劑量的雷帕霉素沒有副作用。

"Our goal is to make the experience easy and fun for you and your dog. We hope you’ll join our team as we work together to accelerate medical breakthroughs for dogs and humans," according to the project's website.

“我們的目標是讓你和你的狗狗來一次輕松有趣的體驗。我們希望你能加入我們的團隊，與我們一起加速狗狗和人類的醫(yī)學突破。”

The project is being lead by researchers at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, along with partners from 14 institutions across the country including veterinary colleges, medical schools and research institutes.

該項目由德克薩斯農工大學獸醫(yī)學院和位于西雅圖的華盛頓大學醫(yī)學院的研究人員領導，合作伙伴來自全國14個機構，包括獸醫(yī)學院、醫(yī)學院和研究機構。

"All owners who complete the nomination process will become Dog Aging Project citizen scientists and their dogs will become members of the Dog Aging Project 'pack.' Their information will allow us to begin carrying out important research on aging in dogs," said one of the project's directors, Daniel Promislow, professor of pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in a news release.

“所有完成提名程序的狗主人都將成為‘狗齡項目’的公民科學家，他們的狗將成為‘狗齡項目’的成員。”該項目負責人之一、華盛頓大學醫(yī)學院病理學教授丹尼爾·普羅米斯洛在新聞發(fā)布會上說:“他們的信息將使我們能夠開始對狗的衰老進行重要研究。”

Because dogs and people share many aging-related diseases, some findings might also shed some light on human aging, according to the researchers.

研究人員稱，由于狗和人類有許多與衰老相關的疾病，一些發(fā)現可能也有助于研究人類衰老。

"Aging is the major cause of the most common diseases, like cancer and heart problems. Dogs age more rapidly than people do and get many of our same diseases of aging, including cognitive decline," said Matt Kaeberlein, a professor of pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "They also share our living environment and have a diverse genetic makeup. This project will contribute broadly to knowledge about aging in dogs and in people."

“衰老是最常見疾病的主要原因，比如癌癥和心臟病。華盛頓大學醫(yī)學院病理學教授馬特·卡伯萊因說:“狗比人衰老得快，而且會患上許多和人一樣的衰老疾病，包括認知能力下降。”“它們也分享我們的生活環(huán)境，有著多樣化的基因組成。這個項目將對狗和人的衰老知識做出廣泛貢獻。”

The project is being funded by a federal grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health as well as private donations.

該項目由美國國立衛(wèi)生研究院老齡化研究所的聯(lián)邦撥款和私人捐款資助。