Li Shaodong, Dong Peng, Wu Xueliang, Kang Zhenhua, Yan Guoqiang
Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Front Immunol. 2025 Mar 14;16:1478092. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1478092. eCollection 2025.
Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) play crucial roles in tumor progression, immune response modulation, and the therapeutic outcomes. Despite significant advancements in TAN research, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that objectively presents the current status and trends in this field is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by visually analyzing global trends in TANs research using bibliometric and knowledge mapping techniques.
We retrieved articles and reviews related to TANs from the Web of Science core collection database, spanning the period from 2012 to2024. The data was analyzed using bibliometric tools such as Excel 365, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix (R-Tool of R-Studio) to identify key trends, influential countries and institutions, collaborative networks. and citation patterns.
A total of 6l5 publications were included in the bibliometric analysis, showing a significant upward trend in TANs research over the last two decades. The United States and China emerged as the leading contributors with the highest number of publications and citations. The journal with the most publications in this field is Frontiers in Immunology, Prominent authors such as Fridlender ZG was identified as the key contributor, with his works frequently cited. The analysis highlighted major research themes. including the role of TANs in tumor microenvironment modulation, their dual functions in tumor promotion and suppression, and the exploration of TANs-targeted therapies, Emerging research hotspots include studies on TANs plasticity and their interactions with other immune cells.
This study is the first to employ bibliometric methods to visualize trends and frontiers in TANs research. The findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of the field, highlighting critical areas for future investigation and potential collaborative opportunities. This comprehensive analysis serves as a crucial resource for researchers and practitioners aiming to advance TAN research and its application in cancer therapy.
肿瘤相关中性粒细胞（TANs）在肿瘤进展、免疫反应调节和治疗结果中发挥着关键作用。尽管TAN研究取得了重大进展，但缺乏客观呈现该领域当前状况和趋势的全面文献计量分析。本研究旨在通过使用文献计量和知识图谱技术直观分析TANs研究的全球趋势来填补这一空白。
我们从Web of Science核心合集数据库中检索了2012年至2024年期间与TANs相关的文章和综述。使用Excel 365、CiteSpace、VOSviewer和Bibliometrix（R-Studio的R工具）等文献计量工具对数据进行分析，以确定关键趋势、有影响力的国家和机构、合作网络以及引用模式。
文献计量分析共纳入615篇出版物，显示过去二十年来TANs研究呈显著上升趋势。美国和中国成为发表论文和被引用次数最多的主要贡献者。该领域发表论文最多的期刊是《免疫学前沿》。确定了如弗里德伦德·ZG等杰出作者为关键贡献者，其作品被频繁引用。分析突出了主要研究主题，包括TANs在肿瘤微环境调节中的作用、它们在肿瘤促进和抑制中的双重功能以及TANs靶向治疗的探索。新兴研究热点包括对TANs可塑性及其与其他免疫细胞相互作用的研究。
本研究首次采用文献计量方法直观呈现TANs研究的趋势和前沿。研究结果为该领域的发展提供了有价值的见解，突出了未来研究的关键领域和潜在合作机会。这一全面分析为旨在推进TAN研究及其在癌症治疗中应用的研究人员和从业者提供了重要资源。
