Salk Institute Receives $41.3M ARPA-H Award to Advance Sonogenetics as Drug-Free Therapy for Peripheral Neuropathy
Key Insights
The Salk Institute (search) has received up to $41.3 million from ARPA-H (search) to advance sonogenetics (search), a novel approach using ultrasound to precisely control cells equipped with ultrasound-responsive proteins (search).
The multi-institutional collaboration will develop core biological tools, next-generation ultrasound delivery systems, and preclinical evidence to move sonogenetics (search) into clinical trials for peripheral neuropathy (search).
SonoNeu (search), a spin-out company co-founded by General Inception (search), will serve as the commercial vehicle coordinating translation of the research into therapeutic candidates.
The Salk Institute (search) has secured up to $41.3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H (search)) to transform sonogenetics (search) from a laboratory discovery into a potential drug-free therapy for peripheral neuropathy (search) and other conditions. The award, announced April 7, 2026, represents one of the largest federal investments in this emerging therapeutic modality.
Sonogenetics (search), pioneered by Salk Institute (search) scientist Sreekanth Chalasani, PhD, uses low-intensity ultrasound to achieve precise, noninvasive control over cellular activity. The approach sensitizes specific cell types to ultrasound by equipping them with ultrasound-responsive proteins (search), enabling targeted therapeutic intervention without traditional pharmaceuticals.
Multi-Institutional Research Collaboration
The up to 5.5-year project brings together seven leading institutions to develop an end-to-end therapeutic strategy. Chalasani, who serves as lead principal investigator, will coordinate efforts across multiple technical tracks including ultrasound-sensitive protein development, delivery systems, and translational validation.
"This award is a major step toward a long-held goal—a drug-free way to deliver therapy exactly where it's needed and only when it's needed," said Chalasani. "We are building a platform that pairs engineered ultrasound-sensitive proteins with wearable ultrasound technology, which, unlike conventional pharmaceutical treatments, could let us treat conditions with cellular and temporal control."
The collaborative teams include Scripps Research (search), led by Nobel Laureate Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, focusing on discovery and engineering of ultrasound-sensitive proteins. Duke University (search)'s team, headed by Aravind Asokan, PhD, will develop targeted vectors to deliver these proteins to specific cell types. MIT's mechanical engineering department, under Xuanhe Zhao, PhD, will create ultrasound delivery systems for both animal and human applications.
Commercial Translation Through SonoNeu
SonoNeu (search), a spin-out company co-founded with General Inception (search), will function as the commercial vehicle in the project, receiving up to $5.2 million of the total award. The company will coordinate translation of sonogenetics (search) research into novel therapeutic candidates and advance the program along a regulatory pathway toward FDA evaluation.
Venkat Reddy, Chief Scientific Officer of General Inception (search) and Co-Founder of SonoNeu (search), emphasized the technology's broad potential: "Sonogenetics (search) holds incredible promise for treating an array of conditions in a drug-free and non-invasive manner."
From Discovery to Clinical Application
Chalasani's foundational work began in 2015 when his group first identified a protein in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans that makes cells sensitive to low-frequency ultrasound. When researchers added this protein to neurons (search) that didn't usually have it, they could activate these cells with ultrasound bursts—the same sound waves used in medical sonograms.
The current ARPA-H (search) award will focus on peripheral neuropathy (search) applications, though the technology shows promise for broader neurological conditions. The spatial and temporal precision offered by sonogenetics (search) could potentially address limitations of current treatments, including deep-brain stimulation approaches that require invasive electrode implantation.
Broader Therapeutic Potential
While the ARPA-H (search) award concentrates on peripheral system conditions, sonogenetics (search) holds promise for treating brain diseases including epilepsy (search), paralysis (search), and certain types of Parkinson's disease (search). The technology could provide non-invasive deep brain stimulation capabilities and potentially serve as a brain-computer interface without requiring surgical implants.
The research program will develop core biological tools, next-generation ultrasound delivery systems, and generate preclinical evidence needed to advance sonogenetics (search) into clinical trials. Teams from the University of California San Diego and California Medical Innovations Institute will validate efficacy across established paradigms and conduct clinically relevant assessments in preclinical systems.
This federal investment represents a significant milestone in translating foundational neuroscience research into potential therapeutic applications, with implications extending beyond peripheral neuropathy (search) to a broad range of neurological and cellular disorders.