科学家需要你的狗的帮助

科学家需要你的狗的帮助

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.

养狗最不公平的地方就是你的宠物的寿命比你的要短。我们都希望我们的狗能活得长久、健康、快乐，这是目前正在招募的一个大型数据收集项目的重点。

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.

国家狗狗老化项目计划在10年内追踪美国各地的1万只宠物，以了解为什么有些宠物寿命更长、更健康。研究的目标是了解基因、生活方式和环境如何在衰老过程中发挥作用。该项目现在正在招募，寻找所有类型的狗的主人提名他们的宠物参加公民科学家项目。

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.

当你和你的狗成为项目的一部分，你将被要求填写关于你的狗的健康和经验的调查。你要送唾液样本做基因测试。您可能会被要求完成与您的宠物的具体活动，然后报告他的执行情况。你可能会被要求让你的兽医在你每年的访问中送血液，尿液和其他样本。

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.

一小部分狗将被要求参加雷帕霉素的临床试验。雷帕霉素是一种免疫调节剂，在人类癌症治疗和防止器官移植排斥反应中使用了数十年。据美国兽医协会称，低剂量的雷帕霉素使老鼠活得更久、更健康。据Medium网站报道，在早些时候对狗进行的10周试验中，研究人员发现低剂量的雷帕霉素没有副作用。

"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.

“我们的目标是让你和你的狗狗来一次轻松有趣的体验。我们希望你能加入我们的团队，与我们一起加速狗狗和人类的医学突破。”

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.

该项目由德克萨斯农工大学兽医学院和位于西雅图的华盛顿大学医学院的研究人员领导，合作伙伴来自全国14个机构，包括兽医学院、医学院和研究机构。

"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将成为‘狗龄项目’的公民科学家，他们的狗将成为‘狗龄项目’的成员。”该项目负责人之一、华盛顿大学医学院病理学教授丹尼尔·普罗米斯洛在新闻发布会上说:“他们的信息将使我们能够开始对狗的衰老进行重要研究。”

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

研究人员称，由于狗和人类有许多与衰老相关的疾病，一些发现可能也有助于研究人类衰老。

"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."

“衰老是最常见疾病的主要原因，比如癌症和心脏病。华盛顿大学医学院病理学教授马特·卡伯莱因说:“狗比人衰老得快，而且会患上许多和人一样的衰老疾病，包括认知能力下降。”“它们也分享我们的生活环境，有着多样化的基因组成。这个项目将对狗和人的衰老知识做出广泛贡献。”

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.

该项目由美国国立卫生研究院老龄化研究所的联邦拨款和私人捐款资助。