Science Presentation
Europe's regenerative medicine market is on track to grow from $1.62 billion in 2024 to $11.37 billion by 2033. This AskNews feature explains how IMAGE REGENERATIVE, under Prof. Carlo Tremolada, applies the patented Lipogems® microfracturing technique to restore the body's own healing mechanisms — with reimbursement already in place in several Italian regions and a new clinic opening in Sankt Moritz.
Regenerative medicine — the discipline that supports the natural healing of tissues — is growing rapidly across Europe. The European market, valued at $1.62 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $11.37 billion by 2033. Among the institutions already delivering these treatments is IMAGE REGENERATIVE.
The clinic's aim is to restore the body's intrinsic ability to heal itself. These capabilities are largely mediated by mesenchymal stem cells, present in every tissue and residing on the microvessels that run through each of them. The cells sitting directly above the microvessels are called pericytes, and they are found throughout the body.
One tissue particularly rich in pericytes — and often underestimated — is adipose tissue. It's easy to access, patients are generally happy to have some removed, and when treated appropriately it is capable of increasing local vascular density, allowing the body to heal with remarkable effectiveness. This regenerative capacity applies across fields — aesthetic surgery, orthopaedic surgery — and, alongside physical activity, can contribute to healthy longevity.
To translate this biology into clinical practice, Prof. Carlo Tremolada developed the Lipogems® method for microfracturing adipose tissue.
"Lipogems® is a device I patented many years ago to optimise the use of adipose tissue transplantation — what we know as lipofilling," explains Prof. Tremolada. "A small amount of fat is harvested with very thin cannulas and microfractured: the fat fragment, originally around 3 millimetres, is reduced to 0.3 millimetres while being left perfectly intact. The microvascular network above it is preserved intact as well, with all the pericytes — the stem cell precursors — still sitting on top of the microvessels. These tiny fragments are then inserted where needed. In an arthritic knee, for example, they increase local vascular density and radically improve the joint's chances of spontaneous healing."
Accessibility and reimbursement are an important part of this story. Where the technique works — and it works very often — it also reduces healthcare costs significantly. In Italy, the procedure is currently reimbursed in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, and discussions are underway in Lombardia. Institutions, in other words, are beginning to recognise the importance of regenerative medicine.
In addition to Milano, where the main clinic is located, IMAGE REGENERATIVE has announced a new opening in Sankt Moritz, Switzerland.