R24AG073137

Developing the Privately Owned Companion Dog as a Model for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias pose an increasing burden on society, with an estimated 5.8 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A significant barrier to progress in Alzheimer's disease research is the lack of suitable animal models that exhibit pathological hallmarks and clinical features similar to those seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease, while also having similar genetic and environmental heterogeneity to humans. The privately-owned companion dog uniquely captures both of these features.

The Dog Aging Project (DAP) is a consortium of investigators with the shared goal of understanding the biological aging process, including age-related cognitive changes and dementia, in companion dogs through large-scale longitudinal study and clinical evaluation of putative healthspan-promoting interventions. Ultimately, more than 50,000 companion dogs will be enrolled in the DAP pack, for which detailed owner survey information is collected annually. This includes the gold standard cognitive assessment questionnaire for the diagnosis of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD).

A high-resolution "precision group" of 1,000 dogs is being studied in much greater depth, including full genome sequencing, veterinarian-reviewed electronic medical records (VEMRs), and annual assessments such as physical exams, clinical chemistry, blood epigenome, serum metabolome, and fecal microbiome.

We propose to synergistically leverage the infrastructure of the DAP to create an unparalleled and one-of-a-kind resource for studying Alzheimer's-like disease in the companion dog. To accomplish this goal, we will:

1. Recruit 200 dogs with CCD into a "CCD Precision Group" that will be studied at high resolution in parallel with the cognitively normal DAP Precision Group. This will include assessments of serum abundance of AD markers such as AB42, tau, and hyperphosphorylated tau.

2. Quantitatively assess proteomic and neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's-like disease in brains from 100 companion dogs who reach the end of their natural lives.

3. Create a large canine data and biospecimen repository to support future studies of Alzheimer's-like disease in companion dogs.

Successful completion of this project is expected to not only create a rich dataset on AD-like disease in companion dogs but also stimulate numerous follow-on studies by other investigators. It is our hope and expectation that these resources will have a major impact on Alzheimer's disease research for years to come.

University Of Washington

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Washington United States

State-Wide

New/Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimers Disease (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-AG-21-003)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/31/25 to 05/31/26 and the total obligations have increased 294% from $1,299,521 to $5,115,565.