Why old dogs might be able to teach Alzheimer's researchers new tricks
Most people know someone with Alzheimer's disease. When I was growing up, my grandmother struggled with dementia, and I saw firsthand how difficult that was for our family.
Old dogs could hold valuable insights for Alzheimer's researchers, according to a recent study published in npj Dementia. The research highlights the potential of aging dogs as a natural model for studying neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. Most people know someone with Alzheimer's disease and, like the author, many have witnessed the challenges it poses for families.
This personal experience inspired the author's career as a neurotoxicologist, focusing on how misshapen proteins and inflammation contribute to dementia.
Treating dementia symptoms is possible, but finding a cure remains elusive. The disease progresses silently for two decades before symptoms appear, making early diagnosis difficult. Consequently, researchers often rely on mouse models to test potential therapies, but these often fail in human clinical trials. Moreover, brain aging is challenging to study in mice, as they lack the protein buildup seen in dementia.
The study suggests that dogs may offer a more promising alternative. Dogs naturally experience brain aging, making them valuable models for understanding the disease. In the newly published research, the author and her colleagues found that the aging dog brain undergoes changes similar to those in human brains with dementia. They collaborated with veterinary neurologist Stephanie McGrath, who studies companion dogs with brain diseases, to explore canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, a condition akin to human dementia.
The team, including neuropathologist Caitlin Latimer, analyzed brain samples donated by dogs with cognitive dysfunction and those of people with early Alzheimer's disease. They discovered abnormal protein deposits in the same brain regions as in human samples. Elevated levels of GFAP, a protein normally found only in the blood during injury or disease, were also observed in dogs with high protein deposits in their brains.
This finding suggests GFAP could serve as a potential biomarker to diagnose dogs with cognitive decline and provide insights into the progression of dementia in people.
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