American molecular biologists decided to find a more accurate than “life years times seven” method, which allows to determine the age of the dog. The methodology was tested so far only on the Labrador Retriever. The rate of aging of other species may differ.
the Method allows to estimate the biological age by the number of labels for DNA and compared with the age of the person. A study published in the journal Cell Systems.
Previously, scientists had developed a way to assess biological age of a person. Thus, epigenetic marks were used – short molecules that control the readability of genes and is present in the DNA of an individual. As a rule, aging of certain types of these molecules in the body becomes greater. Their quantity can be determined by treating the genome in a special way. This index is used in order to evaluate how effective drugs and therapies to prolong life. The impediment was that scientists did not know how these cells accumulate with aging in other mammals.
the study samples genome collected from 104 Labrador retrievers. The results of the analysis of the quantity of energetic marks on the surface of the DNA confirmed that DNA of dogs as they get older, accumulate epigenetic marks, as in humans. That is, they can also be used as a marker of aging. But scientists also noticed that the method “multiply the number of years in seven” is not working.
it Turned out that in the first four years of life, dogs grow up very quickly. Year of life dog resembles a thirty-year-old man level of development. And in four years, he accumulates the same epigenetic marks, like the fifty year old man. Then this process slows down, and in 14 years they stay at the same level that people in 70-75 years. The result of the study was the chart comparing human and dog years of life. It is curious that to refer to a person different and his age used photos of actor Tom Hanks.
the Scientists intend to test whether such characteristic patterns for other breeds of dogs. They also calculate a common set of patterns that will help to calculate the rate of aging of all mammals, and to compare the speed between them. This will create a drug that slows aging.
