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ObjectiveHuman amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) which are isolated from the amniotic membrane have stem cell-like properties and immunomodulatory effects. Several protocols have been proposed for isolation of hAECs, nevertheless, there is no report concerning isolation of highly viable hAECs, with desirable yield, and without significant purity reduction. In the current study, a detailed protocol with some modification of previous ones is presented in which the amendments led to isolation of hAECs with high purity, yield and viability. Moreover, isolated hAECs were subjected to immuno-phenotyping and their physiological status was assessed using a proliferation assay.ResultsThe average yield of obtained hAECs using the new modified method was 190 × 106 cells with a mean viability of 87%, with less than 1% contamination with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The isolated cells were > 95% positive for the epithelial cell markers. The lowest initial plating efficiency of the cells was 80%. Freshly isolated hAECs had the ability to proliferate for 5–6 passages in a standard culture medium.

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The failure of immunological tolerance to self‐antigens plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). PD‐1 is an inhibitory receptor for regulating the immune system and preventing development of autoimmune disorders. This study aimed to determine the role of four single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1 or PD‐1) gene and haplotypes defined by these SNPs in susceptibility to SLE in the Iranian population. Blood samples were obtained from 253 SLE and 564 healthy subjects. Red blood cells were lysed and genomic DNAs were extracted using salting‐out method. Genotype determinations of PD1.1, PD1.3, PD1.5 and PD1.9 SNPs were performed by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP), and 12 haplotypes were constructed by PDCD1 SNPs. Our results showed significant differences in PD1.5 genotype frequencies between patient and control groups (p < .001). The frequencies of PD1.5 C/C, C/T and T/T genotypes versus other genotypes in SLE patients significantly differed from healthy subjects (p < .001, p = .001 and p = .002, respectively). Allelic analysis indicated a significant association between the frequency of PD1.5C allele and development of SLE in our population (odds ratio [OR] = 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–2.42, p < .001). At the haplotype level, GGCC, GACT and GGCT haplotypes were significantly different between SLE and control groups (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.73–2.66, p < .001; OR = 9.76, 95% CI = 4.47–21.3, p < .001; and OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.24–0.42, p < .001, respectively). Based on these findings, PD1.5 SNP and some haplotypes of PDCD1 contribute to SLE risk in the Iranian population.

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Ovarian cancer (OCa) is characterized as one of the common reasons for cancer-associated death in women globally. This gynecological disorder is chiefly named the “silent killer” due to lacking an association between disease manifestations in the early stages and OCa. Because of the disease recurrence and resistance to common therapies, discovering an effective therapeutic way against the disease is a challenge. According to documents, some popular herbal formulations, such as curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol, can serve as an anti-cancer agent through different mechanisms. However, these herbal products may be accompanied by some pharmacological limitations, such as poor bioavailability, instability, and weak water solubility. On the contrary, using nano-based material, e.g., nanoparticles (NPs), micelles, liposomes, can significantly solve these limitations. Therefore, in the present study, we will summarize the anti-cancer aspects of these herbal and-nano-based herbal formulations with a focus on their mechanisms against OCa.

ObjectiveHuman amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) are a novel source of stem cells and have immunomodulatory effects on both the innate and adoptive immune system. hAECs can differentiate into multiple cell lineages that make them a suitable cell source for regenerative medicine. These cells express multiple toll-like receptors (TLRs) and respond to various TLR ligands. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR4 ligand, on the level of immunomodulatory and immunostimulatory factors of hAECs.ResultsOur results indicated that LPS had the ability to up-regulate the expression of prostaglandin E2 synthase and transforming growth factor-beta1 in hAECs. However, there was no change in the level of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in hAECs when were stimulated with LPS. In addition, we observed tumor necrosis factor-alpha was only expressed at very low level in some of hAECs samples which its expression was independent of the effects of LPS.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3411-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of central nervous system (CNS). The mmune system plays an important role in its pathogenesis. Current treatments are unable to cure patients and prevent the progression of MS lesions. Stem cell-based cell therapy has opened a new window for MS treatment. Stem cells regulate immune responses and improve axonal remyelination. Stem cells can be obtained from different origins such as embryonic, neural, bone marrow, and adipose tissues. But yet there is a challenge for the selection of the best cell source for stem cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cell obtained from different origins and have significant immunomodulatory effects on the immune system. The increasing evidence have suggested that umbilical cord and adipose tissue can be a suitable source for isolation of MSCs. Moreover, human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) as novel stem cell origins by having immunoregulatory effects, regenerative effects, and less capacity of antigenicity can be a candidate for MS treatment. This review discussed the mechanistic effects of MSCs with a focus on human amniotic epithelial cells, which can be used to treatment and improvement of outcome in MS disease.