This is a story about a drug which is said to extend the life of domestic dogs generally without tackling a specific disease. It’s a brand-new story as reported in The Times newspaper today and it caught my eye because the lives of domestic dogs very much need extending! 💕😊
RELATED: Anti-ageing drug rapamycin expected to extend the lives of dogs, humans (and cats!) – this is another recently reported (Dec 2023) attempt at extending animals’ lives and the lives of humans. It is also believed to alter metabolic pathways by mediating the inhibition of the mTOR pathway. In mice it increased lifespan by 25% or more.
Some dog breed lifespans are very short such as the notorious French Bulldog with, it is claimed, a lifespan of just over seven years. Extraordinary. Extraordinarily short; indicative of the large range of inherited health problems that this breed suffers from thanks to dubious selective breeding focusing on an unhealthy appearance while ostensibly ignoring the health consequences.
I’ll move on having got that off my chest. Five years ago, Celine Halioua, when she was 24 years of age and an Oxford university dropout, had the idea to develop drugs that could prolong dogs’ lives and she started a business call Loyal in San Francisco which has caught the attention of investors as she has just attracted $120 million.
She wanted to push back the “heartbreak of losing a beloved that”. Is that the Holy Grail of medicine? To create a general treatment to extend the life of companion animals is a kind of Holy Grail objective.
The Times reports that she is now close to gaining approval for the first treatment and this applies to the first treatment of any species given to lengthen the lifespan without targeting, as mentioned, a specific disease.
If she gains approval, it would be a milestone in medicine and it might well be a stepping stone to similar treatments and therapies the humans. That is The Holy Grail.
She hopes that within a couple of years or a little more she can bring to drugs to the market for dogs. One is designed for large breeds and the other for older dogs. Large dogs tend to have shorter lives than smaller dogs.
She hopes that each treatment will cost about £40 a month and she also hopes that they will add about one year to the lifespan of these animals.
Now, that’s an interesting prospect. You’re paying about US$50 per month which is going to be about $600 per year to extend the life of your dog by one year if their lifespan is 10 years. You are extending the life by about 10%.
To achieve that you would have paid US$6000. Bearing in mind the so-called cost of living crisis after the end of the pandemic and also bearing in mind the rapid increase in cost of looking after your companion dog in the UK thanks to exorbitant veterinary fees, I wonder whether people will take up the offer of paying US$6000 or the equivalent in pounds sterling to increase the life of a dog by one year or 10% of their lifespan. Just a question that I think which is worth asking.
I guess the answer depends very much upon how much money you have! Pretty obvious. At the moment we are told that her business has not proved that the treatments work. We should be sceptical. The clinical trials are ongoing. They have not been completed and the vast majority of drugs intended to achieve this almost impossible target of extending lifespan file fail.
However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that there was a “reasonable expectation” that Loyal’s therapy for large dogs will be effective.
This US agency has to decide the drug is safe and can be manufactured to the required high quality and if so, Loyal will be allowed to sell the drug labelled LOY-001 and it will be given by injection every few months.
Halioua hopes that she can start selling the product in 2026.
The science behind this product can be traced back tens of years apparently. Dr. Cynthia Kenyon demonstrated in the 1990s that it was possible to double the life of nematode worms by altering only one gene.
This precious gene is linked to the production of a hormone called IGF-1. This drives cell growth. Big dogs grow quickly because their high levels of IGF-1. And the level stay high when they become adults.
Halioua’s theory is that this hormone “fuels the accelerated ageing of large dogs after they hit maturity” according to and in the words of The Times report.
Watch this space for updates. IGF-1 concerns humans as well. See below. It seems that Loyal’s ultimate objective is to move into the world of humans and the first step is to test the process on pets. Cats must also be in the firing line for treatment.
Tell me about the IGF-1 gene and what it does
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also known as somatomedin C, is a hormone structurally similar to insulin. It plays crucial roles in both childhood growth and adult metabolism. Let’s delve into the details:
- Synthesis and Circulation:
- IGF-1 is primarily synthesized in the liver under the influence of growth hormone (GH).
- Most of the IGF-1 in circulation binds to one of six insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGF-BP).
- The highest rates of IGF-1 production occur during the pubertal growth spurt, while the lowest levels are observed in infancy and old age.
- In dogs, an ancient mutation in the IGF1 gene is responsible for the toy phenotype.
- Molecular Structure:
- IGF-1 consists of 70 amino acids arranged in a single chain with three intramolecular disulfide bridges.
- Its molecular weight is approximately 7,649 daltons.
- Functions:
- Childhood Growth: IGF-1 plays a pivotal role in promoting growth during childhood.
- Anabolic Effects in Adults: In adults, IGF-1 has anabolic effects, stimulating protein synthesis, cell growth, and tissue repair.
- AKT Signaling Pathway: IGF-1 is a potent activator of the AKT signaling pathway, which regulates cell growth and proliferation.
- Neuroprotection: IGF-1 is involved in neural development, including neurogenesis, myelination, synaptogenesis, and dendritic branching.
- Insulin-Like Action: Although structurally related to insulin, IGF-1 has much higher growth-promoting activity.
- Clinical Applications: A synthetic analog of IGF-1 called mecasermin is used to treat growth failure in children with severe IGF-1 deficiency.
In summary, IGF-1 is a multifaceted hormone with essential roles in growth, metabolism, and cellular processes. Its intricate interactions make it a fascinating player in human biology.
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