The discovery of versatile stem cells in the amniotic fluid surrounding babies in the womb could make it possible for all mothers to save the cells as “spares” for baby, according to Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers.

If the child suffers tissue or organ damage later in life, the cells could be retrieved and grown into the perfect graft, with no problems of tissue rejection by the immune system.

Alternatively, the cells could be stored en masse from many babies in a public tissue bank, so that off-the-shelf tissues would be available for matching that of almost any patient.