Background. To study the effect of Bone morphogenetic protein 15 on differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cell derived from human follicular fluid to oocyte like cell. Methods. Human FF derived cells were collected from 78 women in assisted fertilization program, and cultured in differentiation medium containing human recombinant BMP15 for 21 days. Mesenchymal stem cells and OLCs were characterized by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) staining. Results. MSCs expressed germ line stem cell markers, such as OCT4 and NANOG. After 15 days, OLCs formed and expressed zona pellucida markers (ZP2, ZP3), and reached 20 – 30 µm in diameters. Ten days after induction with BMP15, round cells remarkably developed, and the maximum size of OLCs reached 115 µm. Finally, a decrease ranging from 0.04 to 4.5 in the expression of pluripotency and oocyte specific markers was observed in the cells cultured in BMP15 supplemented medium. Our work demonstrates, FF derived MSCs have an innate potency to differentiate into OLCs, and BMP15 is effective in stimulating the differentiation of these cells, which may give an in vitro model to examine human germ cell development.

Endometrial cancer is gynecologic cancer that occurs in the uterus. Endometrial cancer stem cells (ECSC) are a small population of cancer cells that represent a crucial role in the metastasis of endometrial cancer cells to other organs in the body. ECSC can proliferate and give rise to mature cancer cells, which are found to participate in the aggressiveness of metastatic lesions. Therefore, targeting ECSC can be a valuable strategy for drug development against the metastasis of endometrial cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that several signaling pathways, including Wnt, mTOR, EGFR, NOTCH, STAT3, VEGF, and SHH show modest effects and regulate the growth, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and tumorigenesis of ECSC. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) also play an important role in ECSC self-renewal, progression, and drug resistance. Hence, targeting these pathways might be a novel therapeutic approach for endometrial cancer diagnosis and therapy. This mini-review aims to characterize the main signaling pathways involved in the stimulation of ECSCs proliferation and tumorigenesis.

Background & Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the association between the maternal serum concentration of PAPP-A and free B-HCG at 11-13(+6) weeks and the uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) at 30-34 weeks with the prediction of preeclampsia. Materials & Methods:This cohort study was performed on 882 women with singleton pregnancies from March 2018 to November 2020 at the university hospital (referred center) in Ahvaz/Khuzestan. Maternal serum PAPP-A and free B-HCG at 11-13(+6) weeks and uterine artery PI at 30-34 weeks were measured and compared between women with and without PE. MOM PAPP-A<0.4, MOM-free B-HCG>3, and uterine artery pulsatility index >1 (>95%) were considered abnormal. Then The effect of each of the indicators on preeclampsia was determined by overlaying the layers and performing logical calculations in ARC GIS software. The distribution of PE in different cities of Khuzestan province was investigated. Results:The mean MOM PAPP-A was significantly lower (1.05 vs. 1.21 P=0.03), and uterine artery PI was significantly upper (0.93 vs. 0.88 P<0.01) in preeclamptic women compared to women without PE. No significant differences were observed in the mean MOM-free B-HCG between women with and without PE (1.33 vs. 1.2 P=0.667). The highest percentage of PE was in two regions of Ahvaz (80%), but concerning women referred from different cities was in Andimeshk (75%). Conclusion:A low level of maternal serum PAPP-A and increased uterine artery PI promoted the chance of developing PE. The highest prevalence of PE was in two regions of the center of Khuzestan province, and the most preferred due to PE in different cities was in Andimeshk.

Background Improving the quality of clinical education leads to the training of competent and professional staff. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to effective clinical education standards. The present study was designed to develop accreditation standards for midwifery clinical education in Iran. Methods This study was performed in two phases. In the first phase, accreditation standards for midwifery clinical education in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) were thoroughly examined through a narrative review study in 2021. In the second phase, a qualitative study with a directed content analysis approach was conducted. The axes extracted from the first phase were used as a framework and guide in this phase. The study population consisted of senior midwifery managers, faculty members of midwifery departments with a background in clinical teaching, clinical midwifery instructors, and final year undergraduate midwifery students (n = 15). Participants were selected by purposive sampling method, and data collection was continued until data saturation. Results The results of extracting the standards and accreditation criteria of midwifery schools from the review study were divided into 6 areas: Mission and goals; Curricula; Clinical instructors; Students, Clinical setting; and Assessment. These axes were used as a guide in formulating questions and conducting semi-structured interviews in the second phase. Data analysis in this phase led to the extraction of 131 codes, which were divided into 35 sub-subcategories, 15 sub-categories and 6 main categories. Conclusion If implemented, integrated and localized standards of clinical midwifery education in Iran is promising in improving the quality of clinical education programs.

Background. To study the effect of Bone morphogenetic protein 15 on differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cell derived from human follicular fluid to oocyte like cell. Methods. Human FF derived cells were collected from 78 women in assisted fertilization program, and cultured in differentiation medium containing human recombinant BMP15 for 21 days. Mesenchymal stem cells and OLCs were characterized by real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) staining. Results. MSCs expressed germ line stem cell markers, such as OCT4 and NANOG. After 15 days, OLCs formed and expressed zona pellucida markers (ZP2, ZP3), and reached 20 – 30 µm in diameters. Ten days after induction with BMP15, round cells remarkably developed, and the maximum size of OLCs reached 115 µm. Finally, a decrease ranging from 0.04 to 4.5 in the expression of pluripotency and oocyte specific markers was observed in the cells cultured in BMP15 supplemented medium. Our work demonstrates, FF derived MSCs have an innate potency to differentiate into OLCs, and BMP15 is effective in stimulating the differentiation of these cells, which may give an in vitro model to examine human germ cell development.