Modern medical research predominantly focuses on treating diseases after they occur, rather than preventing them. This approach typically involves subjecting research animals to a diseased state and then studying a single aspect of their response. This method, while widespread, raises ethical concerns and may overlook broader insights. Each year, over 100 million rodents are used in biomedical research in the U.S. alone. Many of them are euthanized for data at a young age, which then misses the most critical health questions often pertaining to older age.

Our questions: What if we adopted a more holistic view, treating research animals not just as subjects to test a single hypothesis, but as patients deserving of the longest health span possible? Could this perspective pave the way for advances in preventive healthcare for animals and humans?