ARPA-H GLIDE program set to prevent and cure human disease by targeting the lymphatic system

Program teams will develop the first targeted lymphatic therapies for the millions who face progressive, debilitating symptoms with limited options 

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has awarded funding to research teams through its Groundbreaking Lymphatic Interventions and Drug Exploration (GLIDE) program. GLIDE will give healthcare providers a powerful new toolkit of therapies that directly target abnormal lymphatic structure and function. GLIDE is the first major effort to directly address the root causes of chronic diseases due to underlying lymphatic disease, not just the symptoms. 

The human body is made up various systems that all play critical roles in maintaining health, but it is only the lymphatic system that touches all the others. It maintains our body's fluid balance, controls inflammation, supports cognitive health by clearing waste from the brain, transports fats and proteins, and supports our immune system.  

The lymphatic system doesn't just support health, it defines it, so when it is not functioning correctly the impact is significant. Many common chronic diseases, such as heart failure, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma, chronic kidney, and liver disease can be driven or worsened by abnormal lymphatic function. There are no existing FDA-approved drugs or devices that target this critical system. Most current treatments only address symptoms, leaving millions of Americans to manage life-threatening, progressive, and debilitating issues for their entire lives.  

“ARPA-H’s GLIDE program marks a decisive leap forward in lymphatics treatment options,” said ARPA-H Director Alicia Jackson, Ph.D. “These teams will build the first comprehensive therapeutic toolkit so healthcare providers can treat underlying lymphatic problems early and effectively. GLIDE is poised to transform care for millions with lymphatic dysfunction, dramatically cut healthcare costs, and cement America’s leadership in biomedical innovation.” 

Key challenges in treating lymphatic problems include blocked or abnormal flow of lymph fluid, vessels that leak and causing swelling and fluid overload, poor pumping or faulty valves), and lymphatic vessels that grow too much or not enough. GLIDE performer teams were selected for their innovative approaches to directly address each of these four critical barriers, advancing potential solutions where none currently exist. These teams will create new drugs, devices, and physical interventions to relieve, repair, and regenerate damaged lymphatic vessels. A central goal is to ensure these breakthroughs are affordable, simple to use, and rapidly adopted by hospitals, healthcare providers, and patients across the country.  

"As a surgeon, I was trained to fix what I could see—but I was never taught about the one system that connects everything. As a rare disease parent, I've lived the heartbreak of watching someone you love suffer while medicine has no answers. And now, as an ARPA-H Program Manager, I get to help change that story for millions of families,” said Kimberley Steele, M.D., Ph.D. “This is what transformation looks like. Together with ARPA-H's LIGHT program, which is making the lymphatic system visible through next-generation imaging and diagnostics, GLIDE will help launch an entirely new field of lymphatic medicine. We're not just creating treatments—we're building a future where the invisible becomes visible, where the untreatable becomes curable, and where families don't have to hear 'there's nothing we can do.' These breakthroughs will be accessible, FDA-approved, and life-changing. This truly will be transformational.” 

The performer teams are led by: 

• 3DT Holdings, LLC in San Diego will pioneer the first-ever minimally invasive device designed specifically for the lymphatic system, which will treat obstructions within the thoracic duct (main lymphatic vessel). The team will also develop a unique device-drug combination: a stent that resists clots, paired with a targeted first-in-class oral medication that works only in the lymphatics. 
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation in Atlanta will develop two innovative platforms, biodegradable hydrogels and lipid nanoparticles, to deliver medicine precisely to the lymphatics with fewer side effects.  
• LymphaTech in Atlanta will create a new responsive garment using bioimpedance feedback to deliver at home adaptive compression with Bluetooth for remote monitoring, bringing specialist-level care to underserved patients and improving compliance and outcomes. 
• Monash University in Parkville, VIC, AUS will develop small molecule therapeutics that will regulate lymphatic vessel contractility, which not only tackles the root causes of lymphatic dysfunction but also introduces a novel treatment paradigm to reduce inflammation and metabolic disturbances in conditions like primary and secondary lymphedema and rheumatoid and juvenile arthritis. Additionally, in collaboration with Seaport Therapeutics in Boston, the team will create a first-in-class oral therapy that targets lymphatic inflammation, a key driver of central obesity with a proprietary platform that delivers the drug directly to gut lymphatics.  
• Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. will tackle chronic lymphedema, which affects nearly one in three breast cancer survivors. A tiny implant paired with a specialized drug is placed at the site of damage, working together to help the body regrow lost lymphatic vessels and restore normal drainage.  
• Ropirio Therapeutics in Boston will create a first of its kind drug that stops lymphatic vessels from leaking and collapsing, a root cause of fluid buildup. By keeping vessels open and functional even during severe inflammation, it restores drainage at the source and stops the fluid overload that causes chronic swelling. 
• William Marsh Rice University in Houston will develop a one-time implant for pediatric and adult rare lymphatic disorders that helps the body regrow and repair lymphatic vessels. Using engineered cells and smart materials, it delivers targeted medicines exactly when and where needed to restore healthy lymphatic function and reduce inflammation.

Like the ARPA-H LIGHT program, each GLIDE team includes a Discovery Duo, a model that reimagines research by putting patients at the center. Discovery Duos pair an early-career investigator with a patient or caregiver ambassador. By embedding patient perspectives throughout the research and development process, GLIDE strengthens patient ownership of health decisions, gives researchers critical insight, and accelerates the creation of solutions that are accessible, affordable, and truly patient-centered.  

Discovery Duos from both the LIGHT and GLIDE programs form the Accelerating Clinical Technology Innovation for Value & Efficiency (ACTIVE) taskforce. ACTIVE’s mission is to help restore trust in medical research and healthcare by ensuring that new technologies reach the people they are designed to serve — and that those people have a voice in how they are built.

The GLIDE program total is up to $158 million over 5 years. Performer awards vary in funding amount per awardee and are contingent upon each team meeting aggressive and accelerated milestones.  

Learn more on the GLIDE program page.