Jia Xuezhao, He Lei, Chang Yonglong, Li Jiajie, Wang Jing, Zhang Xiaojun, Guo Jinchen
Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, People's Republic of China.
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, People's Republic of China.
Drug Des Devel Ther. 2025 May 27;19:4355-4371. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S514898. eCollection 2025.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the common diseases associated with job loss and disability. However, the existing diagnosis and treatment methods are limited by factors such as misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, and toxic side effects. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in applying nanomedicine for RA treatment. However, previous studies lack a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the development trajectory of nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of RA, the contributions of key researchers, and the evolution of research focuses. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a detailed bibliometric analysis of the global research landscape on nanomaterial applications in RA diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the significance of this field in advancing therapeutic interventions and identifying future research directions.
Relevant literature on the application of nanomaterials in RA treatment was searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from January 1, 1985 to December 31, 2023. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, "bibliometrix" R-package, and Microsoft Office Excel 2021 were used for bibliometric analysis to evaluate the number of publications, research hotspots, main researchers, and institutions.
A total of 524 articles were included, involving 33 countries or regions, 784 institutions, and 2751 authors, covering 19 disciplines, including biochemistry and molecular biology, chemistry, engineering, immunology, and materials science. Countries with the highest publication output were China, India, and the United States, with China and the United States having the closest cooperation. The University of California at San Diego and CHEN X were the most influential institutions and authors. Journal of Controlled Release had the highest publication output and emerged as the most influential journal in the field. In recent years, research hotspots of nanomaterials in RA included "dexamethasone", "micelle", and "diagnosis".
This study is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of nanotechnology in RA application. It highlights the importance of nanomaterials in advancing RA diagnosis and treatment and provides a valuable reference for future research. By identifying key research trends, influential contributors, and emerging hotspots, this analysis offers actionable insights for researchers to build upon, ultimately driving innovation and improving therapeutic outcomes in the field of nanomedicine for RA.
类风湿性关节炎（RA）是与失业和残疾相关的常见疾病之一。然而，现有的诊断和治疗方法受到误诊、漏诊和毒副作用等因素的限制。近年来，纳米医学在RA治疗中的应用取得了显著进展。然而，以往的研究缺乏对纳米材料在RA诊断和治疗中的发展轨迹、关键研究人员的贡献以及研究重点的演变进行系统全面的分析。本研究旨在通过对纳米材料在RA诊断和治疗中的全球研究格局进行详细的文献计量分析来填补这一空白，突出该领域在推进治疗干预方面的重要性，并确定未来的研究方向。
在科学网核心合集（WoSCC）数据库中检索1985年1月1日至2023年12月31日期间纳米材料在RA治疗中应用的相关文献。使用VOSviewer、CiteSpace、“bibliometrix”R包和Microsoft Office Excel 2021进行文献计量分析，以评估出版物数量、研究热点、主要研究人员和机构。
共纳入524篇文章，涉及33个国家或地区、784个机构和2751名作者，涵盖生物化学与分子生物学、化学、工程学、免疫学和材料科学等19个学科。发文量最高的国家是中国、印度和美国，其中中国和美国的合作最为密切。加利福尼亚大学圣地亚哥分校和陈X是最具影响力的机构和作者。《控制释放杂志》的发文量最高，成为该领域最具影响力的期刊。近年来，纳米材料在RA中的研究热点包括“地塞米松”“胶束”和“诊断”。
本研究是首次对纳米技术在RA应用中的综合文献计量分析。它突出了纳米材料在推进RA诊断和治疗方面的重要性，并为未来研究提供了有价值的参考。通过确定关键研究趋势、有影响力的贡献者和新兴热点，本分析为研究人员提供了可借鉴的实用见解，最终推动纳米医学在RA领域的创新并改善治疗效果。
