H project with up to $41.3M to advance sonogenetics as a noninvasive therapeutic

Key Points:

• Salk Institute scientist Sreekanth Chalasani, PhD, has received up to $41.3 million from ARPA-H to develop sonogenetics, a noninvasive therapy using ultrasound to control mammalian cells, targeting conditions like peripheral neuropathies.
• Sonogenetics involves sensitizing specific cells with ultrasound-responsive proteins to enable precise cellular control through low-intensity ultrasound, a concept pioneered by Chalasani’s team since 2015.
• The ARPA-H-funded project will span up to 5.5 years and includes a multi-institution collaboration to develop ultrasound-sensitive proteins, delivery systems, and preclinical validation to progress sonogenetics toward clinical trials.
• Collaborators include Scripps Research, St. Boniface Hospital/University of Manitoba, Duke University, MIT Mechanical Engineering, UC San Diego, Calmi2, and the startup SonoNeu, each contributing expertise from discovery to translational validation.
• The project builds on foundational research supported by early seed funding at Salk and aims to create a drug-free, wearable ultrasound therapy platform with precise spatial and temporal control, advancing toward FDA evaluation and commercialization.