Targeting Stress from the Inside Out: DARPA’s CoasterChase Initiative
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) continues to push the boundaries of biomedical technology with the release of its latest Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), HR001125S0014, titled CoasterChase. Issued by DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO), this program seeks to revolutionize how we understand and manage acute stress in warfighters by tapping into the body’s “second brain,” the enteric nervous system. The initiative is grounded in the need to reduce cognitive decline and long-term trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by tuning stress hormone pathways from within the gastrointestinal tract.
DARPA aims to develop a persistent, ingestible platform capable of sensing and stimulating enteric neurons in real-time, with the goal of regulating neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cortisol, two hormones central to the body’s stress response. CoasterChase builds on emerging research in gut-brain axis signaling and combines advances in ingestible electronics, biomarker detection, and neuromodulation into a single, dynamic system.
Inside the CoasterChase Solicitation
The CoasterChase program will fund research and development efforts focused on understanding and controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis through enteric stimulation. The program is structured around two key Functional Areas (FAs):
FA1 will investigate how targeted stimulation of enteric neurons in the small intestine affects systemic stress biomarkers like NPY and cortisol. The goal is to map their impact on stress modulation and cognitive performance.
FA2 will support the engineering of a dual-function ingestible capsule capable of both sensing biomarker fluctuations and stimulating neuronal populations in a closed-loop system. The Phase 1 Base Period will focus on acute studies, hardware design, and early in vivo validation, while the Phase II Option Period aims to integrate the sensing and stimulation functions.
Key Proposal Dates and Deadlines:
- Proposal Abstract Due: July 24, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET.
- Full Proposal Due: August 28, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET.
Funding and Award Details
DARPA anticipates multiple awards with a total program funding up to $25 Million. The program structure consists of a 12-month Phase 1 Base Period and 12-month Phase 2 Option Period.
Impact on Human Health and Call to Action
The CoasterChase program holds transformative potential for both military and civilian health applications. By developing technologies that modulate stress responses at the source, this effort could lead to novel treatments for PTSD, cognitive decline under stress, immune suppression, and metabolic dysfunction.
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