The hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used as bone tissue repair material. The improvement of the antibacterial performance is an aroused general interest. In the present study, the silver ion and nano-zinc oxide modified hydroxyapatite whiskers (HAw) were successfully prepared. The microstructure and the composition of the modified HAw were analyzed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). SEM analysis showed that the length of the whiskers was 70–190 μm, and the aspect ratio was 10–60. With the increase of Ag⁺ content, the length and aspect ratio of the whiskers gradually decreased and incomplete spherical hydroxyapatite appeared. FEEM analysis showed that nano-zinc oxide particles on ZnO/3Ag-HAw surface are evenly distributed; the average particle size is less than 30 nm. XRD analysis showed that after sol-gel and calcination treatment, the nano-zinc oxide phase appeared in the diffraction pattern of ZnO/Ag-HAw. TEM analysis showed that the interplanar spacing of 5Ag-HAw increased slightly. The CCK-8 and cells co-culture assays were used to assess the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, respectively. The antibacterial abilities of the modified HAw against E. coli (ATCC25922) and S. aureus (ATCC6538) were investigated. The cell cytotoxicity test showed that the cytotoxicity level was 0, and there was no cytotoxicity. Cell adhesion experiments showed that ZnO/3Ag-HAw has good cell compatibility and biological activity. The modified hawthorn has a bacteriostatic rate of more than 90% and has good bacteriostatic activity.

Demineralised dentin matrix (DDM) is an effective scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. However, the osteoimmunological mechanism of DDM remains unexplored. Th17/Treg cell balance has been noticed as a crucial factor in bone regeneration. The aim of this research is to elucidate the influence of DDM on the balance of Th17/Treg and its underlying molecular mechanisms. The study examined DDM's effects on Th17/Treg cell balance by co-incubating DDM extract with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Transcriptomics and bioinformatics identified DDM-related differentially expressed genes. A naïve CD4⁺ T cell-bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) co-culture model assessed DDM's immunomodulatory effects on Th17/Treg differentiation and their impact on BMSC viability and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, a rabbit mandibular defect model with DDM implantation evaluated bone repair and Th17/Treg regulation. DDM promoted Treg cell differentiation in PBMCs and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. Transcriptomic analysis shows that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a key regulator of Th17/Treg balance. In naïve CD4⁺ T cells, DDM enhanced Treg differentiation, which was blocked by IDO1 inhibition. This immunomodulation improved BMSCs viability and osteogenic differentiation which was attenuated by IDO1 inhibition. Co-culture with naïve CD4⁺ T cells further amplified DDM's pro-osteogenic effects. In rabbit mandibular defects, DDM enhanced bone repair and was suppressed with IDO1 inhibition. This study demonstrates that DDM regulates the Th17/Treg cell balance by promoting Treg cell differentiation through IDO1 upregulation, with minimal impact on Th17 cells. This immunomodulatory mechanism is a key factor underlying DDM's significant role in bone repair.

Trained immunity (TI) reveals that innate immune cells acquire long-term functional memory through metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming. This review examines TI in chronic liver diseases and periodontitis, proposing the “Liver-Gut-Immune-Oral Axis” as a framework where TI bridges these comorbidities. The forward pathway, currently inferred from mechanistic and associative studies, proposes that liver-gut dysfunction induces bone marrow training, generating hyper-reactive monocytes that amplify periodontal inflammation. The reverse pathway, similarly conceptual, proposes that periodontal pathogens reprogram hematopoietic progenitors, accelerating liver disease progression. Both converge on shared metabolic-epigenetic reprogramming circuits. We emphasize that this axis represents a conceptual framework synthesized from current mechanistic and associative evidence; its validity as an integrated, causally-linked biological system awaits direct experimental validation. Targeting TI with metabolic modulators, epigenetic drugs, or periodontal interventions offers strategies to disrupt this cycle and advance precision medicine for inflammatory comorbidities.

Background and Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in East Asia. The absolute burden is increasing rapidly, driven largely by demographic change, and varies substantially across countries. However, the extent to which long-term trends, population ageing, and socioeconomic development jointly shape the regional CRC burden has not yet been fully quantified. The objective of the present study is to characterise temporal trends and age-specific patterns in CRC burden, in addition to quantifying the contributions of key drivers of change. Methods: This study is a population-based observational analysis using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, covering China, Japan, Mongolia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2023. We analyzed incident cases, prevalent cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates were calculated, and their associations with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) were assessed using Spearman correlation with non-linear curve fitting. Changes in absolute burden were decomposed into contributions from population growth, population ageing, and epidemiological change. Future trends of age-standardized rates to 2050 were projected using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, and temporal changes in mortality trends were evaluated using joinpoint regression. Results: From 1990 to 2023, the absolute numbers of incident cases, prevalent cases, deaths, and DALYs from CRC increased across all countries, while trends in age-standardized rates diverged. The age-standardized incidence rate increased markedly in the Republic of Korea (22.98 to 37.78 per 100,000; EAPC 1.71%) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (13.88 to 22.60 per 100,000; EAPC 1.48%), with more moderate increases in China and Japan and a slight decline in Mongolia. The age-standardized prevalence rate rose substantially, particularly in the Republic of Korea (96.07 to 224.73 per 100,000; EAPC 3.01%). In contrast, age-standardized mortality and DALY rates declined in most countries but increased in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The burden increased steeply with age, especially after 50 years. Significant positive correlations were observed between SDI and all age-standardized rates (ρ = 0.843–0.748, all p < 0.001), with non-linear patterns at higher SDI levels. Decomposition analysis identified population ageing as the primary driver of increasing burden. Projections indicate that the burden will remain high or continue to rise modestly through 2050, with increasing uncertainty. Joinpoint analysis revealed declining mortality trends in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, persistent increases in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and a recent upturn in Mongolia. Conclusions: The prevailing burden of non-communicable diseases in East Asia is characterised by an increase in the absolute number of cases, despite concurrent improvements or stabilisation in mortality and DALY rates in several settings. This phenomenon is predominantly driven by population ageing. The presence of strong SDI gradients and adverse trends in the DPRK underscores the necessity for customised strategies, encompassing risk-factor management, equitable expansion of screening programmes, and the augmentation of treatment capacity, with a particular emphasis on adults aged ≥ 50 years, to alleviate the anticipated future burden.