Well Healed – Find Out Who Is Leading the Global Race in Regenerative Medicine

Reverse aging. Regenerate organs. Live forever. What might have sounded like science fiction just several years ago are now the very real goals of regenerative medicine.

As featured in ‘The Longevity Leap’ in the Spring 2025 issue of 3 Magazine, regenerative medicine is a rapidly growing field of medicine that integrates cell therapy, gene editing and tissue engineering to repair damaged tissues and reverse disease progression.

“It’s about giving the body the right tools, signals or environment to heal itself,” says Dr. Adeel Khan, Canadian regenerative medicine specialist and owner of Eterna Health, whose A-list clientele includes Hollywood actors Zac Efron and Chris Hemsworth. Unlike traditional health care models, regenerative medicine addresses the root causes of disease – cellular dysfunction and aging – rather than simply treating its symptoms.

The global regenerative medicine market was valued at US$35.8 billion in 2024 and predicted to surpass US$212 billion by 2034, according to Precedence Research, a market research agency based in Canada and India. Scientists from across the globe are now using regenerative medicine to cure blindness, beat Parkinson’s disease and replace organs through state-of-the-art techniques such as stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, gene therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.

The origins of stem cell research date back to the 1960s, when Canadian scientists Drs. James Till and Ernest McCulloch discovered the regenerative potential of bone marrow cells and paved the way for stem cells to treat blood disorders. In 2006, Japanese Nobel prize winner Dr Shinya Yamanaka made the breakthrough discovery of pluripotent stem cells (known as iPSCs), which could be reprogrammed to replace a multitude of cells in the body.

Fast forward to 2025 and there are now more than 60 labs worldwide who are seeing just what can be achieved with these shape-shifting cells. In 2014, a team at Kyoto University Hospital replaced a woman’s retina with one made from iPS cells. Later in April 2025, another team transplanted neurons made from iPS cells into Parkinson’s disease sufferers, improving their symptoms significantly.

Elsewhere in the world, Singaporean biotech startup Infiniclone is now using iPS cells to grow signal transmitting neurons – basically, brain and nervous system connectors that could drastically improve the lives of people with dementia, Parkinson’s and stroke victims. What’s more, Infiniclone is creating cells at scale, meaning that this cutting-edge medicine – once priced in the millions of dollars – is now becoming cheaper and more accessible.

Thanks to regenerative medicine, we’ll not only be biologically younger and healthier on the inside – we can now look just as good on the outside. In March 2025, researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) revealed they had discovered nature’s “bubble wrap” – essentially fat-filled cells that can plump up saggy skin. Maksim Plikus, Professor of Developmental & Cell Biology at UCI, says it won’t be long before they’ll be using it aesthetically, such as to 3D print renewed cartilage for the ear, nose and larynx.

In addition to stem cell therapy and tissue engineering, scientists are also showing the possibilities that come with gene therapy. In 2017, surgeons in Italy saved a young boy suffering from a life-threatening skin disease by editing one of his own genes to grow him a blister-free skin graft. In Spain, researchers may also be well on their way to finding the key to anti-ageing after editing the telomerase gene in mice and extending their lifespans.

Regenerative medicine goes mainstream

While all this may sound futuristic, regenerative medicine is no longer restricted to the lab. Treatments such as stem cell therapy and PRP injections are now readily available at clinics around the world like Dr. Khan’s Eterna Health. Even luxury resorts such as Four Seasons Resort Maui and The Farm at San Benito in The Philippines are offering 21^st-century regenerative treatments alongside traditional massages.

PRP involves taking a patient’s blood, separating the golden-coloured plasma from the red blood cells and injecting it back into the injured area to speed up healing. Kim Kardashian has used PRP for her infamous vampire facial, while professional athletes such as Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez have used PRP to speed up healing from injuries.

Still, not everyone is a fan. UCI’s Plikus says, “There is zero scientific reason behind [PRP]. It sounds fancy and people are willing to pay for it because they’re desperate. But if you look at scientific studies, there’s no evidence that anything has a significant effect.”

He adds: “It’s not necessarily harmful because it’s your own [plasma]. Blood is flowing through your body all the time, so you’re exposed to PRP in every corner of your body. All you’re doing [is] injecting larger volumes of it in specific locations.”

Not only is regenerative medicine becoming more mainstream – some treatments can now even be delivered to your door. Concierge services offering regenerative medicine treatments are already popping up in Singapore, Switzerland and the United States to offer biohacking treatments in your home.

Helix Prive, Singapore’s first ultra-personalised biohacking concierge company, for instance, will send doctors to your door to offer plant-based stem cell therapy alongside IV vitamin therapy drips and red-light therapy to help you turn back the clock.

Exosome therapy is another regenerative skincare treatment that will be on everyone’s radar, according to Dr. Christian Jacob del Rosario, founder of San Diego-based Tulsi Wellness who is now collaborating with The Farm. “Exosomes are microscopic vesicles released by stem cells that act as messengers – carrying proteins and signaling molecules that enhance tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and modulate immune responses,” he says.

In skincare, these powerful components have the ability to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, brighten skin tone, and improve overall texture. Unlike fillers or lasers, exosomes work on a cellular level to rejuvenate the skin from within. The result? Smoother, healthier, and more youthful-looking skin with minimal downtime. No wonder beauty mavens the world over are flocking to their nearest aesthetician – or to Asia’s beauty capital, Seoul – for it.

Controversy and challenges

Regenerative medicine might sound like a real-life fountain of youth, but it also comes with real risks. In 2016, the New York Times reported on stroke sufferer Jim Gass from San Diego, who traveled to clinics in Argentina, China and Mexico for stem cell treatment – only to discover a tumor on his spinal column made up of cancerous cells belonging to someone else. And in June 2023, Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, widely hailed as a pioneer of regenerative medicine, was jailed for two and a half years by a Swedish court for gross assault after three patients died following an experimental surgery.

Then, there’s tech millionaire and biohacking geek, Bryan Johnson, who famously flew to the Honduran island of Próspera in an attempt to turn himself into a teenager once more. There, the founder of the Don’t Die movement, which aims to extend a human’s lifespan through scientific intervention, received a US$25,000 shot of follistatin protein – a yet unproven form of gene therapy that Johnson believed would increase his muscle mass and boost longevity.

Within the field of regenerative medicine, the source of stem cells has also been contentious. Until the discovery of iPS cells, which are adult cells that have been reprogrammed, some researchers had relied upon human embryonic stem cells (hESC) sourced from a human embryo.

Clearly, there are inherent risks that come with using cells that aren’t generated by our own bodies. As stem cell research develops with embryonic, adult and umbilical cord blood becoming more viable, this has led to significant legal, regulatory and ethical issues regarding their source.

Lawmakers around the world are working hard to keep up with medical breakthroughs in support of innovation, while also working to protect patients. But with different jurisdictions in different countries, controlling the global regenerative medicine market will prove to be challenging.

Controversies aside, regenerative medicine is here to stay – not just for us, our elderly parents, but for our four-legged friends as well. Thanks to San Diego-based regenerative medicine company VetStem Inc., veterinarians in the US and Canada are now using PRP and stem cell therapy to treat dogs, cats and horses for heart disease, kidney failure and even musculoskeletal issues such as osteoarthritis.

Reverse aging. Regenerate organs. Live forever – with Max and Fido by our side? Yes, please.