Weekly Report On Science, Ethics and Public Policy
by Aaron Traywick
Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute have embarked on a new research regimen to determine the effects of potential life-extension drugs on extending the lives of our canine companions. The scientists, who are working with a small pilot group of 30 dogs aged 6 to 9, are anxious to determine the effect of the drug rapamycin on canine lifespan.
Rapamycin, which has been proven to extend the lifespan of mice in clinical trials, has been popularly accepted as a potential life-extension drug for humans, but has yet to be officially proven through clinical trials. The study, which was able to both extend the quantity and quality of life for mice, maintains a few mysteries as to precisely why this lifespan extension occurred.
Experts note┬áthat until the effects of these drugs is properly understood, dog-lovers everywhere should focus on healthy diets and playful lifestyles for their pets. However, for pet owners whose animals are fast approaching end times, the cryogenics community┬áoffers a number of options┬á- some affordable, and some not. While having your pet cryogenically frozen can cost upwards of $5,000, the preservation of a simple DNA sample costs less than $100, and ensures that Fido can be resurrected in clone form sometime in the near future. (If youÔÇÖre into that sort of thing.)
The whole situation, however absurd it may seem, raises a number of policy questions that do affect pet owners everywhere. As the demand for human life extension rises, the demand for pet life extension will no doubt as well. What will the availability of pharmaceuticals for pet life extension be like? Will pet owners have to consult a veterinary professional to obtain ÔÇ£permissionÔÇØ to purchase and administer these drugs to their pets – or will access be more liberal? Finally, what are the ramifications, if the same drugs that require a medical prescription for human use become popularly used and medically proven to support pet life extension? Who would oversee the approval of pet owner purchase of such drugs – veterinarians, medical professionals, pharmacists, all of the above, or a new entity entirely?
The question of public policy on this issue is vast, and only time will tell what will come of it. What we do know is that the policies will be pressing, and as they come along, we here at the Life Extension Policy Institute will be there to make sure your best interests are accounted for.
Aaron Traywick (aaron@secularpolicyinstitute.net) is the Life Extension Sciences Director for the Life Extension Policy Institute, a coalition of thought leaders united to promote broader public acceptance for extending the quality and quantity of human life.