Take Action to regenerate — not replace by default.

1.7 billion people. One coordination failure.

Musculoskeletal conditions are the single largest contributor to disability worldwide — roughly one in six of all years lived with disability. The burden falls hardest on less research-intensive regions of Europe, many of them COST Inclusiveness Target Countries that carry the highest rates while remaining least connected to the field’s emerging science.

A new generation of regenerative therapies is advancing fast — but the field is fragmented and inconsistently defined, with no shared classification, no agreed outcome standard, no European quality benchmark and no coordinated training route. Evidence cannot be pooled, effort is duplicated, and unproven treatments compete on equal footing with evidence-based ones. This is a coordination failure no single research project can solve.

Preserve. Repair. Regenerate. Before replace.

Repair and regeneration are points on the same biological continuum: repair restores the integrity of injured tissue; regeneration restores its structure and function. The body does both remarkably well — a marathon runner’s calf recovers in 24–48 hours — but when degeneration outpaces healing, replacement becomes the default. IAMRegen’s ambition is to shift the balance of care up the pathway, so stimulating the body’s own capacity reduces the need to replace the joint.

SPIRO — a shared language for the field.

SPIRO classifies regenerative and orthobiologic MSK therapies across five domains, mapped to the Preserve → Repair → Regenerate → Replace pathway. It is developed and ratified by a structured, modified two-round Delphi consensus with an a priori agreement threshold — removing the field’s core definitional fragmentation.

Eight objectives. Two engines.

The barrier is coordination, not discovery.

The knowledge, techniques and expert groups already exist across Europe. What is missing is a shared framework, comparable evidence, agreed standards and a route for people and knowledge to move between centres — networking problems by definition. A pan-European COST Action funds exactly this: consensus, common standards, training, mobility and dissemination.

COST funds the networking, not the research — so partners join and benefit at no research cost to their institution. The consortium is built to COST eligibility: at least seven COST Full or Cooperating Members, at least half from Inclusiveness Target Countries, and at least 40% Young Researchers and Innovators.

Five meetings, one growing Action.

From a founding meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine to an international association — Torino 2027 is our fifth annual meeting.

The seal of the International Association of Musculoskeletal Regeneration.

Our official crest gathers the story of I AM Regen into a single emblem — myth, science and medicine held together. Every figure carries meaning.

The angel with the olive branch

Carrying the next generation and holding the light for the future — peace, hope and the duty of care passed from one generation of healers to the next.

The phoenix

The power of renewal and rebirth — tissue and the field itself rising again, regenerated rather than replaced.

The unicorn

The ancient symbol of healing — purity and the restorative power at the heart of regenerative medicine.

The open book, DNA & molecules

Knowledge and the science of regeneration — holding the future of molecular science, genetics and evidence-based practice.

The ground of orthopaedics & mitochondria

Rooted in the musculoskeletal system and cellular energy — the biological foundation the whole movement stands on.

The R. & "I AM Regen"

Our mark at the centre of the seal — the declaration every member and fellow carries.

About I AM Regen.