Renowned Cardiologist Publishes Book on Stem Cell Therapy and its Benefits
Dr. Ernst von Schwarz is a world-renowned cardiologist, professor and stem cell research pioneer who recently published “The Secret World of Stem Cell Therapy: What You Need to Know about the Health, Beauty, and Anti-Aging Breakthrough,” a book about the promising future of stem cell therapy.
Photo by Chris Mortenson
Written by Kamala Kirk in Argonaut News
Stem cell therapy is a type of regenerative medicine that promotes the human body’s ability to naturally repair and heal itself by introducing special human cells (known as stem cells) that can develop into just about any type of cell, including brain and muscle cells. Stem cell therapies have been used in thousands of clinical trials to treat a variety of conditions such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s, although the only FDA-approved stem cell treatments at the moment are those used in procedures such as bone marrow transplants for patients with disorders that affect blood production.
Renowned cardiologist and professor, Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, is a worldwide pioneer in the field of stem cell research who has participated in many clinical trials using stem cells for different conditions, including a study he published in 2021 that showed the promising benefit of using stem cell therapy to treat critically ill patients with COVID-19.
A triple board certified clinical and academic cardiologist, he is a clinical professor of medicine at UCLA, and joined Cedars Sinai Medical Center and UCLA as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Device Program in 2006. In 2015, Schwarz was appointed Director of Cardiology, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and Director of the Heart Institute at the Southern California Hospital at Culver City.
“I was fortunate enough to be involved very early on in stem cell research and I became fascinated by the whole idea,” Schwarz said. “I was part of an experimental study more than 25 years ago where we used the heart cells of pregnant rat embryos and transplanted those embryonic cells and stem cells into the damaged heart tissue of host animals. We were the first to show the world that not only could those cells could survive in the recipient tissue for several months, but there was noticeable improvement in the heart function of the animals. That was one of the first studies showing the potential of using embryonic cells and stem cells for possible regeneration of tissue and it created a lot of hype among clinicians.”
Pursuing a career in medicine came naturally for Schwarz, who is from a lineage of physicians that can be traced all the way back to the 1700s when one of his ancestors served as the personal doctor for Austrian empress Maria Theresa.
“It’s very fulfilling to be able to help people and take care of patients, especially the really sick ones who need more than just the standard therapies,” Schwarz said. “It’s also exciting to be involved in research that will continue to move us into a new and different direction in the future. There is a big shift from reactive medicine where we treat patients’ symptoms caused by disease to regenerative medicine, where we don’t just treat the symptoms—we repair the damage to increase lifespan and longevity.”
In May 2022, Schwarz published his new book, “The Secret World of Stem Cell Therapy: What You Need to Know about the Health, Beauty, and Anti-Aging Breakthrough.” It was written to educate the general public about stem cells, differentiate between false advertising and the validity of scientific research, and to help them know what questions to ask when considering stem cell therapies. The book is also geared towards healthcare providers that are interested in expanding their knowledge about modern medicine and regenerative therapy.
“This isn’t a medical textbook, it’s an informational guide for those that might be interested in stem cell therapy,” Schwarz said. “I knew it was necessary because there’s not much out there. The few things that have been published are either from researchers and they’re very technical, or from clinicians without the scientific background and are lacking a lot of basic information. My job is to declare the scientific facts—what is known about stem cells, stem cell studies and research—as well as the regulatory and legal issues surrounding them. There is a lot of false marketing and advertising, and places without any scientific reputation are offering stem cell therapies just so they can make a quick buck. This book should also be seen as a warning to not believe everything you see or hear.”