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Three-Dimensional Morphogenesis in Canine Gut-on-a-Chip Using Intestinal Organoids Derived from Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
Published on: February 9, 2024
Mapping the canine gut microbiome: insights from the Dog Aging Project
Tal Bamberger1, Efrat Muller2, Yadid M Algavi1
1Department of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Nature Communications
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Companion dogs provide a unique aging model. Their gut microbiome shifts with age, influenced by diet and behavior, enabling microbiome-based age prediction and insights into canine and human aging.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Microbiome Research
- Aging Studies
Background:
- Companion dogs share environments and lifestyles with humans, making them valuable models for aging research.
- The Dog Aging Project (DAP) Precision cohort is a large-scale study of the canine gut microbiome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between canine gut microbiome composition, aging, and influencing factors.
- To develop a microbiome-based model for predicting canine age.
- To compare age-associated microbial patterns in dogs and humans.
Main Methods:
- Fecal shotgun metagenomic sequencing of over 900 dogs.
- Phenotypic and environmental surveys.
- Clinical laboratory tests and comparison with the Lifelines-DEEP human cohort.
Main Results:
- Microbiome composition is associated with diet (commercial vs. home-cooked) and behaviors (coprophagy).
- Gradual, age-associated shifts in the gut microbiome were observed.
- A metagenomics-based model for canine age prediction was developed.
- Similarities in age-associated microbial patterns between dogs and humans were identified.
Conclusions:
- The canine gut microbiome is influenced by various factors and changes with age.
- Microbial signatures can predict canine age, offering insights into aging processes.
- Findings have implications for veterinary medicine and translational aging research.
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