Cryopreserved amniotic membrane modulates adult wound healing by promoting epithelialization while suppressing stromal inflammation, angiogenesis and scarring. Such clinical efficacies of amniotic membrane transplantation have been reported in several hundred publications for a wide spectrum of ophthalmic indications. The success of the aforementioned therapeutic actions prompts investigators to use amniotic membrane as a surrogate niche to achieve ex vivo expansion of ocular surface epithelial progenitor cells. Further investigation into the molecular mechanism whereby amniotic membrane exerts its actions will undoubtedly reveal additional applications in the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine. This article will focus on recent advances in amniotic membrane transplantation and expand to cover its clinical uses beyond the ocular surface.

Bone graft substitutes with osteogenic factors alone often exhibit poor bone regeneration due to inadequate vascularization. Combined delivery of osteogenic and angiogenic factors from biodegradable scaffolds may enhance bone regeneration. We evaluated the effects of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), combined with natural coral scaffolds, on the repair of critical-sized bone defects in rabbit orbits. In vitro expanded rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were transfected with human BMP2 and VEGF165 genes. Target protein expression and osteogenic differentiation were confirmed after gene transduction. Rabbit orbital defects were treated with a coral scaffold loaded with BMP2-transduced and VEGF-transduced BMSCs, BMP2-expressing BMSCs, VEGF-expressing BMSCs, or BMSCs without gene transduction. Volume and density of regenerated bone were determined by micro-computed tomography at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after implantation. Neovascularity, new bone deposition rate, and new bone formation were measured by immunostaining, tetracycline and calcein labelling, and histomorphometric analysis at different time points. The results showed that VEGF increased blood vessel formation relative to groups without VEGF. Combined delivery of BMP2 and VEGF increased new bone deposition and formation, compared with any single factor. These findings indicate that mimicking the natural bone development process by combined BMP2 and VEGF delivery improves healing of critical-sized orbital defects in rabbits.

Increasing evidence suggests that long non coding (lnc)RNA and microRNA (miRNA/miR) both regulate the expression of key genes in tumorigenesis and have considerable theranostic potential. Rapid advances in bioinformatics indicate that miRNA may potentially interact with lncRNA to modulate their regulatory roles. miR-148b-3p has been reported to have a vital role in regulating tumor progression. However, the expression pattern of miR-148b-3p in glioma remains largely unknown, and interactions between miR-148b-3p and lncRNA has yet to be identified. The aim of the present study was to insight into the regulatory role of miR-148b-3p in glioma. Using online software, the HOTAIR gene was identified as a possible lncRNA target of miR-148b-3p in the present study. siRNA was used to suppress the expression of HOTAIR and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of miR-148b-3p. The results confirmed that HOTAIR mRNA expression was inversely correlated with miR-148b-3p expression in A172 glioma cells. Furthermore, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed to detect the viability of cells, flow cytometry was performed to test cell cycle and a matrigel invasion assay was performed to test cell invasion. The results showed that HOTAIR promotes factors associated with malignancy, including cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and invasion, whereas miR-148b-3p suppresses malignancy. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-148b-3p modulates HOTAIR expression by directly targeting the HOTAIR gene sequence. In summary, the results indicated that miR-148b-3p inhibits malignant biological behaviors of glioma cells by directly targeting HOTAIR. The current data provide important evidence for understanding the key roles of the lncRNA miRNA functional network in glioma.