Impact of Aging on Currently Employed Animal Models of Disease and Chronic Conditions: Demonstration Projects (UH2/UH3)

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The goal of this FOA is to test whether or not the ages of laboratory animals is an important consideration in experimental outcomes in the study of disease pathology, degenerative condition, response to therapy, intervention or environmental exposure. The majority of studies of human conditions and diseases in laboratory animals are done using young animals. Young animals may be appropriate for study of human diseases that are prevalent in young humans. However, older animals may be more appropriate for study of human diseases that are prevalent in older humans. While this is a testable hypothesis, there have been obstacles to performing such studies: they are more costly and take more time than studies with young animals. Nevertheless, studies in older animals may be critical to advancing basic research and translational studies from animal models to human populations where aging is itself known to impact the condition, disease or response. To test this assumption, this FOA will provide funds for demonstration projects to address two questions: 1. Does the age of the model organism influence experimental outcomes? 2. Are older animals better models of experimental studies for conditions, interventions, diseases or exposures for which aging is a risk factor of the human condition (for which the model was developed)?

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