Since launch, ARC has convened two international Working Group meetings, bringing together 14 leading researchers and clinicians from institutions across the US, Europe, Israel, and China.

The first meeting focused on developing shared tools for the AUTS2 community. Researchers' input directly shaped ARC's decision to fund three patient‑derived iPSC lines through NeuCyte — license‑free and expected to be broadly available to investigators worldwide by the end of 2026.

The second meeting focused on drug repurposing, reviewing findings from an analysis of more than 40,000 compounds conducted through ARC's partnership with Unravel. These findings have helped identify promising next steps, and ARC is actively exploring opportunities to expand this work.

On May 16th, we hosted our first Family Virtual Launch. Families tuned in from across the US, UK, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East — some in the middle of their night. The eagerness to connect, contribute, and be part of something larger than their own family's experience was palpable. We are so grateful to everyone who joined.

Our inaugural grant cycle recently completed its LOI review, and we were energized by the quality and diversity of applications. Next month, we move to full applications — and how many grants we're ultimately able to fund will depend directly on what we raise through AUTS2gether this summer.

Proposed projects include research into potential AUTS2 therapies including CRISPRa, patient‑derived stem cell models, biomarkers for future clinical trials, and fundamental AUTS2 biology. ARC will continue accepting Letters of Intent on a rolling basis.