Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41860870›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of frailty & aging2026

OLD DOG - Validating the dog as an animal model for human aging studies.

Polina Zemko, Federico Bonsembiante, Marco Canevelli, Simona Buscarnera, Matteo Cesari, Tommaso Banzato

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of frailty & aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Polina ZemkoUniversity of Padua, Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro, 35020, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: polina.zemko@unipd.it.
Federico BonsembianteUniversity of Padua, Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro, 35020, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: federico.bonsembiante@unipd.it.
Marco CanevelliDepartment of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università 30, Rome, 00185, Italy. Electronic address: marco.canevelli@uniroma1.it.
Simona BuscarneraDepartment of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università 30, Rome, 00185, Italy. Electronic address: simona.buscarnera@uniroma1.it.
Matteo CesariDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via della Commenda 19, Milan, 20122, Italy. Electronic address: matteo.cesari@unimi.it.
Tommaso BanzatoUniversity of Padua, Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro, 35020, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: tommaso.banzato@unipd.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Companion dogs represent a valuable and emerging translational model for human aging, as they share the human environment, receive comparable medical care - yet have much shorter lifespans. Despite their potential, a validated set of canine biomarkers of aging has not yet been established. The OLD-DOG Project, launched in 2023 at the University of Padua's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, is a 30-month prospective study designed to identify and validate biomarkers of aging in companion dogs and to assess their predictive value for healthspan and lifespan, thereby evaluating the suitability of dogs as models for human aging research. A cohort of 209 privately owned dogs aged  ≥ 5 years was enrolled and underwent comprehensive evaluations every six months, including clinical examinations, physical fitness testing, blood and fecal sampling, and owner questionnaires. Collected data encompass physiological, biochemical, hematological, and behavioral parameters, as well as microbiota profiles, telomere length, and DNA methylation patterns. Surplus biological material is stored to establish a long-term biobank. Preliminary cross-sectional analyses have identified consistent age-related patterns across multiple domains, including hematological and biochemical indices, inflammatory markers, and measures of physical and cognitive performance. Ongoing longitudinal analyses aim to determine the predictive value of these candidate biomarkers for morbidity and mortality, as well as to assess the influence of environmental and lifestyle factors on aging trajectories. Ultimately, the project seeks to construct an integrative model of biological age in dogs, thereby strengthening their value as a robust translational model for human aging research.

Indexed as

AgingModels, AnimalAnimalsBiomarkersDogsFemaleHumansLongevityMalePetsProspective StudiesBiomarkersAgingBiological ageComparative agingDogs

Identifiers

PMID41860870
PMCPMC13019545

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.