LifeArc
Medical research non-profit transforming promising life science ideas into medical breakthroughs that change patients’ lives.
- Are you a life scientist looking to move away from the bench? Consider a career in knowledge and technology transfer. Our Knowledge Exchange Fellowship helps scientists gain the skills to launch a successful career as an innovation professional. Apply now: t.ly/nK92S
- We welcome the National Cancer Plan for England and are pleased to see it contains some of the key policy calls we, and other organisations, have put forward, including improving care for children and young people. Read more about our work in childhood cancer: t.ly/Yi1i3
- Dr Giovanna Lalli, our director of strategy and operations, tells us more about the finger-prick blood test that could revolutionise Alzheimer's diagnosis. Find out more: www.lifearc.org/2026/finger-...
- As societies age and brain‑health conditions rise, we're entering a pivotal era where brain health must become a global priority. Our latest blog breaks down the importance of early detection and prevention, equity, and the capital needed to scale progress. 🔗 Read now: t.ly/p1e3F
- When Andy's daughter Olivia was diagnosed with rare Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, he made it his mission to make a clinical trial happen. This is their story.
- We’re funding an @ukdri.ac.uk Translation Awards project led by Prof Vincent Dion, testing whether gene editing techniques can lead to an improvement of symptoms.
- We support our partners' therapeutic trials for new treatments and medications with the potential to transform lives. Our wide-ranging experience, expertise and support help propel clinical trials from design and set-up through to delivery. Learn more: bit.ly/4qwI2pk
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- Behind-the-scenes at The Brain House studio, our CEO, Sam Barrell discusses all things #BrainHealth with Niranjan Bose and Philip Scheltens. #Davos2026
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- We are pleased to welcome Professor Stuart Elborn CBE as our new Chair of Respiratory Disease. He will provide strategic leadership to support the translation of scientific discovery for people living with these conditions.
- Today, our CEO, Sam Barrell, took to the stage at The Brain House in Davos, held alongside the @weforum.org Annual Meeting, for an impactful discussion on how to translate scientific breakthroughs in brain health into global, equitable impact. #BrainHealth #Davos2026 #WEF26
- We're proud to partner with Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation and @ukdri.ac.uk on the Bio-Hermes-002 study, working towards an Alzheimer's test that's scalable, accessible and cost-effective. t.ly/QWn1R
- Professor Alfredo Iacoangeli and his team at King’s College London are exploring whether patterns of gene expression in blood could be used as an early diagnostic tool for ALS. We’re funding this project to improve diagnosis of ALS in primary care: t.ly/KyRR4
- We partnered with KisoJi to humanise a novel anti-TROP-2 antibody. Now in trials with Cancer Research UK, this first-in-class therapy offers new hope for cancer. This was a global effort showcasing the power of our truly collaborative model. Read more: t.ly/_cdM0
- Lung conditions place a huge strain on people, health services and the UK economy. With @asthmaandlung.org.uk, we created guidance for a "simple lung test" to be used at GP appointments – cutting delays, improving referral precision and reducing costly hospital visits. 🔗Download: t.ly/53l1k
- With @innovateuk.bsky.social and Medicines Discovery Catapult, we’re partnering on PACE to accelerate innovation in AMR research. Read more about how we involve patients: lifearc.org/work-with-us/patien…
- Dementia is not a sudden event. But how can we detect it earlier and, in some cases, prevent its onset? In two weeks, we'll be at The Brain House during the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting speaking to worldwide experts on how brain health strengthens societies and economies. #WEF26
- @ukdri.ac.uk researcher Nathan Skene leads a LifeArc funded project which aims to develop a scalable test that could help inform how these variants influence disease development and progression.
- We are pleased to welcome Matt Owens as our new General Counsel and Company Secretary. Matt has a wealth of legal and governance expertise, including on fundraising, Phases II and III product development and commercialisation.
- With EMBARC Network, we're supporting the AIR-NET trial. It is investigating if repurposed anti-inflammatory treatments can reduce neutrophilic inflammation and improve respiratory health outcomes in people with bronchiectasis. @dundee.ac.uk Learn more: lifearc.org/project/airnet/
- Every month MND goes undiagnosed is a missed opportunity for treatment and planning. Our Primer Fund is a dedicated funding stream to support early-stage, high-potential projects that could help speed up diagnosis of MND, particularly ALS, the most common form: t.ly/KyRR4
- Through workshops, surveys and focus groups with patients, clinicians and healthcare professionals, we and @asthmaandlung.org.uk gathered insights from every angle. These perspectives are now informing a new ‘Target Product Profile’ for diagnostics developers to use: t.ly/SGzIH
- How could technology provide meaningful support to people with MND and their caregivers? Our recent report gives 5 recommendations, based on insights from people living with MND, their caregivers, and the wider community - bit.ly/4pgDfYc
- We’re supporting a @manchester.ac.uk trial, exploring the safety and potential of gene therapy to help reduce disease symptoms and prevent brain damage in children with Hunter syndrome. Read about Ollie, the first child to receive this gene therapy, here: t.ly/nOQxK
- Looking for a change in the New Year? Consider joining LifeArc and being part of a team that transforms lives. Visit our careers page: lifearc.org/careers/
- We wish U(2OS) a happy holiday season from these osteosarcoma cells showing red G3BP1 stress granules after chemical stress with sodium arsenite, used in an early validation assay for one of our MND projects. Photo: Rebecca Girling
- Involving patients in programmes like this can speed up and prioritise projects that will create effective, tolerable treatments for everyone affected by MND.
- We’re funding a new clinical trial at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social to test nasal insulin spray for Phelan-McDermid syndrome, which affects movement, speech, learning, sleep, digestion and mood. Co-designed with families, the trial aims to recruit 100 children and young adults.
- 2025 has been quite the year! It's nearly impossible to wrap up succinctly, with so many incredible projects underway! Our sincerest thanks to all of our partners and colleagues for making this year such an impactful one.
- We have recently signed two new antibody development collaboration agreements with Laigo Bio, an innovative biotech company.
- New drugs could selectively target Huntington’s disease-causing forms of the huntingtin gene – potentially preventing the expansion of protein that is toxic to cells. We’re funding this drug development project led by Prof Sarah Tabrizi as part of the @ukdri.ac.uk Translation Awards.
- We're co-funding the TIARA trial with Aplastic Anaemia Trust. The trial, conducted at @kingscollegenhs.bsky.social, is investigating the safety and optimal dosage of expanded autologous T regulatory cells to treat patients with aplastic anaemia. t.ly/r2ECR
- 1 in 5 people will develop a chronic lung disease, yet asthma, COPD, ILD and bronchiectasis are often misdiagnosed. With @asthmaandlung.org.uk, we've shared guidance for developers to create a primary care test that helps people get the right treatment sooner. 🔗 Read the guide: t.ly/GkoS7
- We partnered with KisoJi Biotechnology to humanise novel antibodies targeting the cancer target TROP-2. Using our humanisation expertise, we developed stable, potent antibodies that demonstrated tumour reduction in preclinical models. 🧬💥 t.ly/xEBFj
- Proposals from 31 countries across 5 continents, narrowed to 4 groundbreaking research projects that we're supporting to explore whether existing medicines can be repurposed to treat motor neuron disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Meet the projects ⬇️
- Living with motor neuron disease (MND) brings significant daily challenges. Our new report shares insights from people living with MND, their caregivers, and the wider community about the most pressing issues, and how technology could help: bit.ly/4pgDfYc
- @ukdri.ac.uk researchers are testing an RNA-editing technique that could help prevent the expansion of the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. This fascinating research is one of 5 projects we’re funding as part of the UK DRI Translation Awards.
- Today, we are pleased to welcome Dr Alessandra Gaeta as our new Head of Rare Disease. Alessandra has more than 20 years of experience in research and innovation, including senior roles at @nihr.bsky.social, the Medicines Discovery Catapult and most recently, Duchenne UK.
- Motor neuron disease is a devastating condition without a cure. Our in-house induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides accurate disease models to support drug discovery projects and research in motor neuron disease. 📷: Our iPSC scientists in Stevenage
- We believe the research community has a responsibility to make its findings accessible to those it aims to help. That's why we're supporting Readable Research, a website that offers lay summaries of scientific papers reviewed by people with lived experience. 📘Start reading: t.ly/-Zydr
- Diagnosing chronic lung conditions can take years, partly due to a lack of tools in primary care. With @asthmaandlung.org.uk, we've developed a Target Product Profile (TPP) to guide developers in creating a simple diagnostic test that can be used in primary care. Read TPP: bit.ly/4rlIcQH
- We are co-funding a new clinical trial to investigate if a one-off gene therapy to replace faulty genes in stem cells can bring hope to children with Hunter syndrome. Ollie is the first child to participate in this @manchester.ac.uk study: bit.ly/49BaCjt
- Entries for the #LongitudePrizeOnALS close on 3 December. This global Prize supports AI-led approaches to validate new drug targets for ALS/MND. We're helping shape its impact by identifying promising therapeutic hypotheses. bit.ly/3HBz0VW @mndassoc.bsky.social @challengeworks.bsky.social
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to public health, with the potential to undo decades of medical progress. This #WAAW2025, head to our LinkedIn to hear from world-leading experts on how we can tackle AMR and protect the future of medicine: t.ly/3Oxk1
- UTIs are the second most common reason for antibiotic use globally and inappropriate use is contributing to the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This #WAAW2025, we're spotlighting some of the projects we are supporting to address AMR. Today's spotlight - DOSA2: t.ly/Z-k9x
- It was powerful to see the many stories of how antibiotics have changed people's lives as part of the Fleming Initiative's takeover of the Piccadilly Lights in London last night. #WAAW2025
- The @who.int placed hospital-based antibiotic stewardship programmes at the core of its Global Action Plan. This #AMRAwarenessWeek, we're spotlighting projects we're supporting to help address AMR worldwide. Today: The ASPIRE program led by ReAct Africa: t.ly/iLrTi
- We put lived experience at the heart of our work – and want to empower others to do the same. This new report shares insights from a workshop on advancing patient public involvement in translational research and 10 top priorities for action. 🔗 Read the report: t.ly/Z6Oap
- The first patient has been treated in an early-phase clinical trial investigating whether a new medical device, Carbalive, can slow disease progression of a rare liver disease. We are proud to fund this trial through our Pathfinder Programme. 🔗 t.ly/0BYtw
- Patient voices have been involved at every stage of establishing a UK-wide network of research hubs improving how lung infections are managed. Read more about how we work with patients: lifearc.org/work-with-us/patien… @cysticfibrosis.org.uk
- Yesterday, over 100 people working on the Translational Centres for Rare Disease gathered to share achievements from their first year of operation and upcoming plans, as well as discuss important themes that affect the rare disease ecosystem in the UK.
