Old Dogs Offer New Pathway to Alzheimer’s Research

Scientists are turning to aging dogs as a more natural model for Alzheimer’s disease, after finding that canine brains develop protein deposits and brain changes that mirror those seen in human dementia. In a study published in npj Dementia, researchers examined donated brains from dogs over 12 years old and identified abnormal protein build‑ups in the same brain regions as early human Alzheimer’s cases. They also detected elevated levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the blood of dogs with severe brain deposits, a marker that could aid early diagnosis in both species. The Dog Aging Project is expanding this work by tracking cognitive tests and genetic factors in over 50,000 companion dogs, aiming to link behavioral changes to underlying pathology and accelerate therapeutic discovery.