Ancient Mice Unlock the Mysteries of Aging

Aging mice are important to research into human longevity, reports the Wall Street Journal . Such mice, which are basically ones between the age of 18 and 24 months, are subjected to various experiments, with scientists like University of Michigan Professor Richard Miller hoping to slow the aging rate in mice and screen for drugs that extend their healthy lifespan. Aged mice are an expensive proposition, and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) limits researchers to 20 such mice a month, per grant. All mice must be ordered through NIA's online Rodent Ordering System, with replacements offered for animals that arrive dead or die within 48 hours. Genetically altered mice have demonstrated longer memory health, living nearly five years while maintaining cognitive ability. Alkahest's Eva Czirr found that once a mouse reaches the age of 20 months, it experiences cognitive declines, making their use in studies on Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia important.