Why study aging in rodents?

Studying aging in rodents offers significant advantages:

1. Short Lifespan: Rodents, particularly mice, have short lifespans, generally around two years. This makes it easier to observe the effects of aging interventions and longevity effects quickly 1.

2. Control and Replication: Rodents can be kept in controlled environments, reducing variables and allowing for replicable experiments. This helps in understanding the mechanisms of aging under consistent conditions 1.

3. Mechanistic Insights: Animal studies provide crucial mechanistic data that might be challenging to obtain from humans. Although there are substantial differences between rodents and humans, these studies can offer preliminary insights that guide further research 2.

4. Translatability to Other Models: Findings in rodents can be tested in other models, such as dogs, which share more similar environments and physiology with humans. This stepwise approach validates results across different species before considering human applications 1.

Despite these benefits, it's essential to interpret the results carefully due to differences in disease prevalence and environments between rodents and humans 2.