Researchers at the University of Washington have launched a pilot study on the effects of the drug rapamycin on health/aging in dogs. Rapamycin is currently known to increase lifespan in mice, mostly through its effect on tumor suppression. Gerontologist Jeffrey Halter says that although the UW study sounds “logical,” it is a “long, winding, and difficult” path from dogs to humans in developing drug treatment options. “I think most of us who work in this field are not looking for an instant miracle,” Halter says.