2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (6): 941-947

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of researches on gastric cancer stem cells

Yin Shuoxin1, Zhang Tao2, Wang Shuping1, Lu Xin1, Huang Xuping2, Yin Mengying1, Yang Yuwei1, Yuan Bingmao1, Mao Zhihua1, Chen Yuanneng2   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer stem cells are a hot research topic in the medical field in recent years. Gastric cancer stem cells can interfere with the occurrence, metastasis, recurrence and drug resistance of gastric cancer. In theory, gastric cancer stem cells are the most promising candidate targets for the treatment of gastric cancer in the future. Therefore, studying the action mechanism of gastric cancer stem cells can not only elucidate the occurrence and development of gastric cancer, but also help to find new effective molecular targets, and has broad application prospects.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the hot spots and development trends of gastric cancer stem cells and to provide a reference for scientific researchers in related fields based on bibliometric and visualized analysis.
METHODS:   CiteSpace was employed to conduct the visualized analysis of annual publications, authors, countries, journals, citations and keywords of the related papers from 2011 to 2021 in the Web of Science Core Collection.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 2 832 papers were included for analysis after screening. The annual publications increased rapidly, and the United States and China were the top contributors. Although the total number of papers published by Chinese researchers ranked the first in the world, the papers had low centrality and citation frequency, which indicated low quality and weak academic influence. Oncotarget was the journal with the largest number of articles published, and Oncology Letters was the journal with the largest number of articles published by Chinese researchers. Gastric cancer stem cells presented the trend of interdisciplinary development. The current studies about gastric cancer stem cells mainly focused on epithelial-mesenchymal transition; effect on biological function of gastric cancer cells and self-renewal. The plasticity of gastric cancer stem cells, the relationship with fatty acid oxidation and vascular endothelial growth factor, and the regulation of non-coding RNA on gastric cancer stem cells may be the focus of current and future research. The research of gastric cancer stem cells is currently in a rapid rise stage. In recent years, the action mechanism of gastric cancer stem cells is gradually clear. The treatment of gastric cancer stem cells will be a new targeted therapy strategy for gastric cancer patients in the future.
Key words: gastric cancer stem cell, non-coding RNA, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, bibliometrics, visualized analysis, Citespace