Swiss biotech HekeTiss develops adipose stem cell skin patch for chronic ulcers | Top 100 Swiss Innovation
Image source: HekeTiss
Swiss biotech firm HekeTiss was founded in 2021, dedicated to developing adipose-derived stem cell skin patches. Leveraging Adipose-derived Stromal Cells (ASC) technology, the patch promotes tissue repair by enhancing local angiogenesis and regulating inflammatory responses, helping reconstruct functional vascular networks in damaged tissues and accelerating wound healing.
HekeTiss is a spin-off co-incubated by the University of Geneva and Geneva University Hospitals, co-founded by Nicolò Costantino Brembilla, Olivier Preynat-Seauve and other partners. Nicolò Costantino Brembilla serves as the company's CEO, holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Lausanne, established and leads the Dermatology Research Laboratory at the University of Geneva, focusing on the interactions between IL-17 cytokines, skin stromal cells and immune cells. He is also a lead scientist and distinguished lecturer at Geneva University Hospitals and the University of Geneva. Olivier Preynat-Seauve, the company's Chief Scientific Officer, holds a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Immunology from Grenoble Alpes University in France. He is also a medical professor and distinguished lecturer at Geneva University Hospitals and the University of Geneva, with over 20 years of research experience in stem cells, immunology, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. His main research focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of adipose-derived stromal cells in different microenvironments (including the wound healing process), and he has developed multiple innovative therapeutic solutions based on stem cell technology.
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Normal skin undergoes sequential repair stages including inflammation, angiogenesis, tissue proliferation and remodeling after injury. However, patients with diabetes, venous insufficiency, peripheral arterial disease and other cardiovascular conditions often suffer from insufficient local blood circulation, persistent inflammation and impaired function of reparative cells. Notably, the lack of functional vascular networks that can deliver adequate blood supply in wound areas prevents tissues from obtaining sufficient oxygen, nutrients and reparative cells, trapping wounds in the prolonged inflammatory phase and hindering normal repair processes. Long-term bedridden individuals or wheelchair users may also develop chronic ulcers due to sustained pressure on wounds. Given their complex and diverse underlying causes, chronic ulcers are highly prevalent: approximately 1% to 2% of the global population lives with chronic ulcers, and the prevalence rate reaches 5% among people aged 65 and above. With population aging and the continuously rising prevalence of diabetes and vascular diseases, the incidence of chronic ulcers is projected to keep increasing.
Existing treatments for chronic ulcers mainly include debridement of necrotic tissue, infection control, pressure relief, improvement of arteriovenous circulation, application of moisturizing or antimicrobial dressings, and skin grafting or surgical intervention when necessary. While these approaches can protect wounds, absorb exudate, control infections and optimize the local environment, they generally fail to fundamentally reconstruct the damaged microvascular system. The global advanced wound care market has already exceeded $20 billion, but a universally accepted standard of care for severe chronic ulcers is still lacking, with approximately 10% to 20% of ulcers unresponsive to existing therapies.
Image source: HekeTiss
Based on ASC technology, HekeTiss has developed an adipose-derived stem cell skin patch designed to promote wound healing by restoring functional vascular networks in damaged tissues.
Adipose tissue is recognized as the most accessible and minimally invasive source of stromal cells. HekeTiss's technology extracts stem cells from adipose tissue of healthy donors, and modifies them through proprietary processes to enhance their angiogenic and regenerative activity, further boosting their capacity to restore local vascularization and support tissue regeneration. According to research co-published by the founding team in *Biomedicines*, ASCs exert tissue repair effects primarily through producing a regenerative secretome. Their secretions include extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as collagen, laminin and fibronectin, as well as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that play critical roles in the healing process. Their core mechanism for promoting wound healing is to drive neovascularization by secreting multiple bioactive factors including angiopoietin, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF-2), Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF), Transforming Growth Factor (TGF-β) and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) via paracrine signaling, while further supporting vascular network reconstruction by differentiating into endothelial cells. In addition, ASCs can produce growth factors such as FGF, EGF, KGF and IGF to promote the proliferation of dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes, facilitating the regeneration of damaged skin tissue. Loading ASCs onto a crosslinked gelatin scaffold can significantly enhance their regenerative and reparative capabilities. The crosslinked gelatin not only acts as a localized delivery vehicle for ASCs to maintain stable cell distribution across the wound area, but also amplifies its regulatory effect on the wound healing process by concentrating and storing the regenerative secretions produced by ASCs, particularly promoting the upregulation of genes associated with angiogenesis.
Leveraging the above technologies, HekeTiss has developed a ready-to-use adipose-derived stem cell skin patch for treating chronic ulcers. The patch relies on the synergistic effect between ASCs and the gelatin scaffold: the ASCs within the patch enhance bioactivity and locally enrich pro-healing factors, while the gelatin scaffold not only provides a stable 3D microenvironment for ASCs to optimize intercellular interactions, paracrine events and oxygen supply, but also inherently promotes granulation tissue formation and absorbs exudate. In May 2025, HekeTiss's first-in-human Phase I/IIa clinical trial received authorization from Swissmedic (Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products); in November of the same year, the first patient completed treatment, marking the official entry of the product into human clinical validation. The trial is still ongoing at Geneva University Hospitals.
In 2022, HekeTiss received a non-repayable grant of 50,000 Swiss Francs from the FONGIT Innovation Fund to support early-stage technology development. In June 2024, the company secured an additional seed loan of 100,000 Swiss Francs from the same fund, primarily to advance product development and clinical translation of the cell patch.
HekeTiss is a 2025 honoree of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups list. The TOP 100 Swiss Startups showcases the best "Swiss Made" tech startups and growth-stage innovative companies, serving as the most internationally influential benchmark ranking in Switzerland's tech innovation ecosystem. Since 2011, the list has annually selected 100 most pioneering and market-promising Swiss innovative enterprises, along with 25 high-growth Swiss companies with unicorn potential across Switzerland, covering sectors including life sciences, engineering machinery, robotics, information and communications technology, low-carbon technology, and food tech. The TOP 100 Swiss Startups and its series of branded events are iconic activities in the Swiss innovation ecosystem, representing the pinnacle of Swiss innovation and the cutting edge of international investment and financing.
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