Â鶹´«Ã½

Sci-Tech

    • Experimental drug trial hopes to develop medicine to extend a dog's life

    Loyal is now recruiting dogs to help test medication that inhibits IGF-1. (Pexels) Loyal is now recruiting dogs to help test medication that inhibits IGF-1. (Pexels)
    Share
    LOS ANGELES -

    Heidi Forrest has owned many Newfoundland dogs throughout her life.

    "I would never live without a Newfoundland," she said.

    As much as Forrest has cherished each of her Newfies, there's a reason she's had so many of them: old age for large breeds tends to start early.

    "They don't live very long," she said. They're entering senior citizen when they're 7."

    In an effort to live his best life for as long as possible, one of her dogs, Logan, receives physical therapy, laser treatments, massages and a joint mobilization regimen. There's also an obstacle course to preserve his cognitive function. Despite all of this therapy, Logan and many other large breeds are only expected to live between 8 and 10 years compared to smaller dogs like a miniature poodle bixby which can live up to 20 years.

    A biotech startup called Loyal is developing new drugs to address the health and lifespan disparities between giant and small-breed dogs.

    "One of the things that leads larger dogs to be bigger is an increase in a hormone called IGF-1," Dr. Brennan McKenzie, the director of veterinary medicine at Loyal, said. "After they're done growing, that hormone stays high and it has a bunch of negative health effects on large-breed dogs that we think contribute to their aging faster and developing age-related diseases sooner. We're hoping to lower the levels of that hormone as part of our overall strategy to slow that aging process."

    Loyal is now recruiting dogs to help test medication that inhibits IGF-1.

    "We've done a pilot study in 130 dogs showing that the drug does, in fact, achieve the target we want," Mckenzie said.

    The Federal Drug Administration is reviewing Loyal's data to determine whether the trial can be expanded and the IGF-1 to more dogs.

    "Our initial conservative goal is let's see if we can make them healthy for at least a year longer and then go from there," Mckenzie said.

    While this is welcome news for pet owners wanting to get their paws on this, for some veterinarians, this new drug would be quite the treat.

    "As adult dogs, that hormone being an elevated level in these big breed dogs is linked to cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, metabolic disease," veterinarian Dr. Sam Park said.

    Forrest knows all too well about these age-related diseases as three of her Newfoundlands died of cancer: one at 5, another at 7 and the other at 8 years old.

    "It's gut-wrenching. It really is," she said.

    While Forrest has no plans to cut back on any of Logan's therapy or the daily quality time the whole family shares together, a new therapy could be a tempting add-on.

    "I would try it if it ever comes out on the market and if it's recommended by my veterinarian," Forrest said.

    The way she sees it, every extra day with her pups is a gift, and the more choices there are for getting that extra time, the better for everyone.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    Canada

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • Police nabbed an alarming number of drunk or drug-impaired drivers in Abbotsford, B.C., over the long weekend – including 11 on Friday night alone.

    • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

    • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

    • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

    • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • November 11th marks a solemn day across Canada, and Regina is no exception.

    • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Changes proposed to the city’s Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later – but not louder.

    • According to police, the crash also resulted in a hydro pole being broken and damaging lines.

    • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall is acting unilaterally for one of the only times of his tenure thus far to help ensure a renovation project of a youth shelter gets completed.

    • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school’s annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

    • A pair of thieves ripped the door of an east Windsor sports apparel store on Monday morning, leaving the store owner on the hook for thousands in stolen merchandise.

    • video

      video

      After a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worker took their own life while on shift at the Ambassador Bridge Saturday, Â鶹´«Ã½ Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis highlighted the mental health burdens faced daily by law enforcement.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

    • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½