For decades, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nathan Newman has been asking a simple yet radical question: What if the key to regeneration has been inside us all along? In his pioneering work with stem cell therapy, he has discovered that the fat we often try to lose might actually hold the greatest promise for restoring youth, healing injuries, and even reversing the effects of disease. And now, with the publication of The Natural Intelligence of Stem Cells, Dr. Newman recounts his experiences developing this novel therapy and the results of his research.
It wasn’t easy; following this line of inquiry meant challenging longstanding assumptions in medicine. It often takes a maverick to question traditional systems, think outside the box and break through with a provable new paradigm. The book is equal parts scientific detective story and personal memoir, exploring cutting-edge research through an accessible lens, along with the stories of real people who have benefited from Dr. Newman’s groundbreaking work in regenerative medicine. (Read our full review here.)
In this Q&A, Dr. Newman explains how a serendipitous discovery changed the course of his career, what makes stem cells so uniquely powerful, and why he believes this “fourth revolution” in medicine isn’t on the horizon — it’s happening now.
1. What type of stem cells do you study, and why have you focused your research on them?
For the last 25 years, I’ve been doing research on stem cells. I’ve been using your own stem cells found in your fat because the fat contains the most stem cells. These cells are there to repair, regenerate and renew your body. This amazing renewal power of stem cells is transforming the industry for beauty and for health.
2. How did you discover this approach to stem cell therapy?
During the early days of my research and use of stem cells, we really realized that the old ways of fat grafting or liposuction were actually getting rid of all the stem cells. Once we realized that, that was my moment. I said, Why are we throwing away the gold that we have here? Why don’t we keep that? Not only keep the stem cells, but why don’t we concentrate them? So that idea became the Stem Cell Lift®.
3. Was there a particular patient who set you on this journey or led to a breakthrough in your thinking?
I really realized the power of stem cells when I did a treatment on a patient called Herzl. He was the guy who transformed my life because, when I saw him, he had a big hole in his face from a cancer that was removed. Almost immediately, even with the first treatment that I did for him, it was transformative. His pain started to go away. His tissues started to get better. After eight treatments, his hole was gone. His skin was repaired. His bone was back on his jaw, and it was amazing.
4. Cosmetic results from stem cell therapy are impressive. What makes it different from traditional cosmetic procedures and products?
When I started doing cosmetic surgery, we were just given a knife and sutures that cut away the excess skin and then pull everything. That’s great. You look tighter but not necessarily younger. If you want to look younger, you’ve got to regenerate tissue. Now, we don’t have to change the way your face looks; we just restore the natural beauty and the youthful look that you had using the stem cells that are found in your own fat.
5. Let’s talk about the medical benefits of stem cell therapy. What are they? How are you using them currently to treat medical issues?
We can use it for post-cancer reconstruction, for wound healing, for treating scars. We can use it for muscles and bone and ligaments for any injury that you have. We can use it for autoimmune disease. I’ve treated over 350 patients with lichen sclerosis, which is an autoimmune disease affecting the genitalia. The Stem Cell Lift® treatments have put over a third of these patients into remission.
6. You often speak of creating a “stem cell culture” in healthcare. What is your vision of the future of medicine, taking full advantage of these discoveries?
We are in a revolution in medicine. First, we had antibiotics; they transformed medicine. Then we had anesthesia — transformed medicine. Then we had lasers — transformed medicine. Now we have stem cells. Imagine what’s going to happen when not one doctor is doing it, like me, but we have a thousand doctors doing it. And that’s my mission: to get everybody on this idea that we can use this technology.
Want to Learn More?
Watch the video interview with Dr. Newman below for more details on his scientific discoveries, how he is using them in both his medical and cosmetic practices, and the future promise of using our own body’s “natural intelligence” to repair tissue.
About Dr. Nathan Newman:
Dr. Nathan Newman is the founder and the Medical Director of the fully accredited, state-of-the-art, and respected Orchid Surgery Center in Beverly Hills, California, offering cosmetic surgery and stem cell therapy. He is also the innovator of numerous global skin care and wellness stem cell products.
After attending the University of Southern California (USC) for his undergraduate studies, Dr. Newman received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He completed his internship in internal medicine at UCLA-VA Medical Center in Los Angeles and his residency in dermatology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He then completed his fellowship through the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery in Riverside, California. He is Board Certified in Dermatology, specializes in cosmetic surgery, and is an expert in the field of regenerative medicine.
Dr. Nathan Newman is recognized as the authority on the multitude of applications of stem cell therapy. His work has been published in numerous prestigious medical journals, and he holds multiple patents for medical devices and biotechnological innovations.
