The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, on Thursday unveiled the Functional Repair of Neocortical Tissue (FRONT) program, which aims to restore brain function using regenerative medicine approaches for people suffering from conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer’s.
“Millions of Americans are living with the damage caused by strokes and traumatic brain injuries. Current treatments are not enough. ARPA-H hopes to deploy regenerative medicine to transform the treatment of neurological diseases and relieve the suffering,” said HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill.
The program specifically targets damage to the neocortex, the brain’s largest region responsible for sensory perception, motor control and decision-making. Conditions like stroke, traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease cause damage to this critical area — and that damage has traditionally been considered irreversible.
FRONT will develop technology that uses adult-derived stem cells to regenerate damaged brain tissue. The approach relies on cutting-edge neurodevelopmental principles and stem cell technology to restore lost functions such as motor control, vision and speech. Program Manager Jean Hebert, PhD, noted that no current technology exists to repair damaged tissue and fully restore lost function, which ARPA-H describes as potentially transformative for patients.
According to ARPA-H, more than 20 million US adults currently suffer from chronic neocortical brain damage caused by stroke, neurodegeneration and trauma. ARPA-H Acting Director Jason Roos, PhD, called brain damage “a crisis that drains the US healthcare system by over a trillion dollars annually,” adding that “millions of American families bear the overwhelming costs.”
According to ARPA-H, restoring brain function could save the U.S. economy an estimated $800 billion annually, while recovering lost taxable income from individuals unable to work due to severe brain damage.
The five-year program will focus on two key areas: graft tissue generation and engraftment procedures for functional brain recovery. Researchers will work toward preparing for human clinical trials, with strict performance metrics guiding development. FRONT will rely exclusively on adult-derived dedifferentiated stem cells to regenerate brain tissue and restore lost functions.