Cheng Mengqi, Sun Qianhui, Duan Hua, Chen Cihui
Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China.
Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Front Immunol. 2025 May 29;16:1552053. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1552053. eCollection 2025.
The pre-metastatic niche (PMN) represents the microenvironment established in target organs before primary tumor metastasis, playing a crucial role in organ-specific metastasis. Understanding and preventing PMN formation holds promise for enhancing immunotherapy efficacy and reducing cancer-related mortality. Despite the significance of this field, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis is lacking. This study aims to identify global research trends and hotspots in PMN through a systematic bibliometric evaluation, providing a foundation for future advancements in this field.
Publications related to PMN research from 2005 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric analyses and visualizations were conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS, Scimago Graphica, and Microsoft Charticulator.
The study included 1,303 publications authored by 7,955 researchers from 1,627 institutions across 62 countries, with articles published in 400 journals. China and the United States emerged as central contributors to global PMN research. China has led in publication volume and institutional representation, while the United States has produced the most high-quality papers and impactful authors. published the most PMN-related papers, while had the most citations and co-citations. Professor David Lyden of Cornell University, USA, was identified as the most influential scholar in the field. Analysis of references and keywords suggests future research will focus on metastatic organotropism, extracellular vesicles, innate immunocytes (e.g., macrophages and neutrophils), and immunotherapy.
This bibliometric study represents the first comprehensive analysis of global scientific output in PMN research over the past two decades. By summarizing the current status and identifying trends in the field, this study provides valuable insights and a reference point for researchers aiming to prevent and treat tumor metastasis effectively.
转移前生态位（PMN）是指原发性肿瘤转移前在靶器官中建立的微环境，在器官特异性转移中起关键作用。了解并预防PMN的形成有望提高免疫治疗效果并降低癌症相关死亡率。尽管该领域具有重要意义，但缺乏全面的文献计量分析。本研究旨在通过系统的文献计量评估确定PMN的全球研究趋势和热点，为该领域的未来进展奠定基础。
从Web of Science核心合集数据库中检索2005年至2024年与PMN研究相关的出版物。使用VOSviewer、CiteSpace、Microsoft Excel、ArcGIS、Scimago Graphica和Microsoft Charticulator进行文献计量分析和可视化。
该研究纳入了来自62个国家1627个机构的7955名研究人员撰写的1303篇出版物，这些文章发表在400种期刊上。中国和美国是全球PMN研究的主要贡献者。中国在发表量和机构代表性方面领先，而美国产出了最多的高质量论文和最具影响力的作者。 发表的PMN相关论文最多，而 拥有最多的引用和共被引。美国康奈尔大学的大卫·莱登教授被确定为该领域最具影响力的学者。对参考文献和关键词的分析表明，未来的研究将集中在转移嗜器官性、细胞外囊泡、固有免疫细胞（如巨噬细胞和中性粒细胞）以及免疫治疗上。
这项文献计量研究代表了对过去二十年PMN研究全球科学产出的首次全面分析。通过总结该领域的现状并确定趋势，本研究为旨在有效预防和治疗肿瘤转移的研究人员提供了有价值的见解和参考点。
