Can Cats Help Us Live Longer?
- Author: Myron Stroman
- Posted: 2024-07-29
Humans are always looking for new ways to beat disease. The more ailments we can conquer, the longer we can stretch out our life expectancy. As a result, we have conducted centuries' worth of research in pursuit of this goal. Plenty of animal species have been considered as potential allies in this quest. But one may be the very best helper of all.
Are We Closely Related to Cats?
The relation of humanity to the various members of the primate branch is well known. But are there are other animal families that can help us live longer? As it turns out, the family of felines - everything from lions and tigers to pumas and the average household tabby - are closer to us than we knew. The proof of this is in the genomes.
Cats possess genomic characteristics that look and act a great deal like our own. It should also be noted that cats have dwelt in many of the same places as humans for thousands of years. As a result, they have shared our homes as well as our diets. It should come as no surprise that they also share many of the same basic ailments.
Chronic killers of cats include heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. If we were able to pinpoint how to stop cats from having these issues, we might also be able to cure ourselves. This is the reason that many researchers are beginning to pay closer attention to the links between men and cats.
Why Are Feline Genomes Being Mapped?
The sequence of genomes that determine the "cattiness" of all felines are well worth a thorough course of investigation. As it happens, scientists have recently managed to lay them out from end to end. The sequence they have discovered is nearly perfect. This is a feat that is all the more impressive when you remember it was only recently managed on behalf of humans.
The purpose of sequencing cat genomes in all of their complexity is to create a "master text". This is a record that will be chock full of references that scientists can consult in times of trouble. Since cats can't inform us if they are feeling unwell, a quick search of the genomic record can uncover their ailments.
However, the benefits of creating the genomic record don't end there. As our genomes are so similar, a better understanding of feline diseases can also benefit our own species. Mapping out the genomes at either end can help to pave the way for more precise and effective medications and treatment regimens.
If it were possible to know the exact level of genetic risk for a certain disease or health condition, it may also be possible to detect and cure it. This would give physicians a major leg up.
Cat Genomes Can Lead to Health Breakthroughs
Scientists have long been aware of the basic shape and structure of a genome. They are also quite familiar with the general arrangement of the genes that are found within. However, they are just beginning to realize how much influence genomes hold over the way that those contents are ultimately expressed.
The vast majority of a human genome is reckoned by researchers to be a series of annotations and embellishments. Scientists maintain that they shape how the various snippets of DNA can twist, bend, and cross a series of vast distances. This is one of the areas where cat genomes can assist us.
If it should turn out that the genomes of cats are organized in a way that is similar enough to ours, they may also be regulated in much the same fashion. When knowledge of our genomes fails us, we may be able to turn to cats in order to fill in the blanks.
Who Stands to Gain the Most?
At the end of the day, the point of studying any type of animal genetics is to give us clues as to how we can help ourselves. But this doesn't mean that we need to simply cast aside our study subjects after we are done with them.
In most cases, cats who are studied get adopted after their career in science has ended. A happy ending is thus guaranteed for even the most stubborn puss. Meanwhile, we learn a bit more about ourselves. The final fruit of this historic collaboration may just possibly, get the key to a longer, healthier life.
