Dutt, wife to preserve umbilical cord stem cells of their twins

Chennai: Popular Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and his wife Manayata have decided to preserve the umbilical cord stem cells of their twin babies with LifeCell, India`s first private cord blood bank.

A company press release quoted Dutt as saying they came to know of stem cell banking and its potential when his wife was pregnant. Since many of their friends had also opted for it, they decided to go for the service "to provide our children a secure good future." Besides Sanjay Dutt, Bollywood actors like Hrithik Roshan, Raveena Tandon, Madhavan and many others have preserved their children`s stem cells, the release claimed. The baby`s umbilical cord blood and tissue are a rich biological resource of stem cells, with potential to treat over 75 serious ailments through the innovative concept of stem cell therapy. Umbilical cord stem cell banking is a service wherein the baby`s umbilical cord blood and cord tissue, usually discarded immediately after birth, are collected. These samples are sent to a central laboratory where it is tested and processed. The stem cells derived from them are preserved at -196 degrees Centigrade for potential medical use in future. This is a simple and safe procedure for couples. Whenever stem cells are required for therapy they can approach the bank and retrieve the preserved stem cells for therapy. PTI