Knowledge mapping concerning applications of nanocomposite hydrogels for drug delivery: A bibliometric and visualized study (2003-2022)

The role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by cognitive decline and memory loss. Recent research underscores the crucial role of astrocytes in AD. This study reviews research trends and contributions on astrocytes in AD from 2000 to 2024, shedding light on the evolving research landscape.

Methods

We conducted a bibliometric analysis using data from the Web of Science Core Collection, covering publications from January 1, 2000, to July 6, 2024, on "Alzheimer's disease" and "astrocytes." We identified 5,252 relevant English articles and reviews. For data visualization and analysis, we used VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix," examining collaboration networks, co-citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution.

Results

Between 2000 and 2024, 5,252 publications were identified, including 4,125 original research articles and 1,127 review articles. Publications increased significantly after 2016. The United States had the most contributions (1,468), followed by China (836). Major institutions were the University of California system (517) and Harvard University (402). The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease published the most articles (215). Verkhratsky A was the top author with 51 papers and 1,585 co-citations.

Conclusion

Our extensive bibliometric analysis indicates a significant increase in research on astrocytes in AD over the past 20 years. This study emphasizes the growing acknowledgment of astrocytes' crucial role in AD pathogenesis and points to future research on their mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

Bibliometric analysis and systematic review of fluoride-containing wastewater treatment: Development, hotspots and future perspectives

Water pollution with fluoride can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal deformities, and other diseases, posing serious harm to human health. To understand the development status, research hotspots, and frontier trends in fluoride-containing wastewater (FCW) treatment, this study employed bibliometric methods to visually analyze 2840 publications related to FCW treatment from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. The "bibliometrix" package in R language, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace visualization software were utilized for the analysis. The results revealed a fluctuating upward trend in the annual number of publications, indicating ongoing deepening and development of research in this field. India and China exhibited the strongest research capacity, forming a cooperation network centered around these two countries. High-impact journals such as Desalination and Water Treatment, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Chemical Engineering Journal frequently publish research related to FCW treatment. Keyword co-occurrence and burst analysis revealed that the current research hotspots in FCW treatment primarily focus on treatment methods (ion exchange, chemical coagulation/precipitation, adsorption, electrochemical, membrane separation, and fluidized bed crystallization), adsorption mechanism, and adsorbent design and optimization. Future research will likely focus on developing efficient treatment technologies and adsorption materials for FCW, as well as the recovery of fluoride resources from FCW, highlighting a dual approach to environmental sustainability and resource management. By employing bibliometrics, this study outlines the development status of FCW treatment and predicts the field's future trends, providing insights for understanding the development trajectory of this field.

Biomaterials targeting the microenvironment for spinal cord injury repair: progression and perspectives

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts nerve pathways and affects sensory, motor, and autonomic function. There is currently no effective treatment for SCI. SCI occurs within three temporal periods: acute, subacute, and chronic. In each period there are different alterations in the cells, inflammatory factors, and signaling pathways within the spinal cord. Many biomaterials have been investigated in the treatment of SCI, including hydrogels and fiber scaffolds, and some progress has been made in the treatment of SCI using multiple materials. However, there are limitations when using individual biomaterials in SCI treatment, and these limitations can be significantly improved by combining treatments with stem cells. In order to better understand SCI and to investigate new strategies for its treatment, several combination therapies that include materials combined with cells, drugs, cytokines, etc. are summarized in the current review.

3D micro/nano hydrogel structures fabricated by two-photon polymerization for biomedical applications

Hydrogels are three-dimensional natural or synthetic cross-linked networks composed of polymer chains formed by hydrophilic monomers. Due to the ability to simulate many properties of natural extracellular matrix, hydrogels have been widely used in the biomedical field. Hydrogels can be obtained through a variety of polymerization strategies such as heating and redox. However, photochemistry is one of the most interesting methods for researchers in this field. Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) inherits the biological activity of gelatin and has become one of the gold standards in the field of biomaterials. GelMA, as a photopolymerizable hydrogel precursor, can be used to fabricate 3D porous structures for biomedical applications through two-photon polymerization. We report a new formulation of GelMA-based photoresist and used it to manufacture a series of two-photon polymerization structures, with a maximum resolution less than 120 nm. The influence of process parameters on 3D structures manufacturing is studied by adjusting the scanning speed, laser power, and layer spacing values in two-photon polymerization processing. In vitro biological tests show that the 3D hydrogel produced by two-photon polymerization in this paper is biocompatible and suitable for MC3T3-E1 cell.

Global hotspots and emerging trends in 3D bioprinting research

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an advanced tissue engineering technique that has received a lot of interest in the past years. We aimed to highlight the characteristics of articles on 3D bioprinting, especially in terms of research hotspots and focus. Publications related to 3D bioprinting from 2007 to 2022 were acquired from the Web of Science Core Collection database. We have used VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R-bibliometrix to perform various analyses on 3,327 published articles. The number of annual publications is increasing globally, a trend expected to continue. The United States and China were the most productive countries with the closest cooperation and the most research and development investment funds in this field. Harvard Medical School and Tsinghua University are the top-ranked institutions in the United States and China, respectively. Dr. Anthony Atala and Dr. Ali Khademhosseini, the most productive researchers in 3D bioprinting, may provide cooperation opportunities for interested researchers. Tissue Engineering Part A contributed the largest publication number, while Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology was the most attractive journal with the most potential. As for the keywords in 3D bioprinting, Bio-ink, Hydrogels (especially GelMA and Gelatin), Scaffold (especially decellularized extracellular matrix), extrusion-based bioprinting, tissue engineering, and in vitro models (organoids particularly) are research hotspots analyzed in the current study. Specifically, the research topics "new bio-ink investigation," "modification of extrusion-based bioprinting for cell viability and vascularization," "application of 3D bioprinting in organoids and in vitro model" and "research in personalized and regenerative medicine" were predicted to be hotspots for future research.

MXene nanomaterials in biomedicine: A bibliometric perspective

Purpose: MXene is two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials that comprise transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides. Their unique nanostructure attributes it a special role in medical applications. However, bibliometric studies have not been conducted in this field. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the global scientific output of MXene in biomedical research, explore the current situation of this field in the past years and predicte its research hotpots. Methods: We utilized visual analysis softwares Citespace and Bibliometrix to analyze all relevant documents published in the period of 2011-2022. The bibliometric records were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. Results: A total of 1,489 publications were analyzed in this study. We observed that China is the country with the largest number of publications, with Sichuan University being the institution with the highest number of publications in this field. The most publications on MXene medicine research in the past year were found primarily in journals about Chemistry/Materials/Physics. Moreover, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces was found to be the most productive journal in this field. Co-cited references and keyword cluster analysis revealed that #antibacterial# and #photothermal therapy# are the research focus keyword and burst detection suggested that driven wearable electronics were newly-emergent research hot spots. Conclusion: Our bibliometric analysis indicates that research on MXene medical application remains an active field of study. At present, the research focus is on the application of MXene in the field of antibacterial taking advantage of its photothermal properties. In the future, wearable electronics is the research direction of MXene medical application.