The landscape of research on B cell and immunotherapy in solid tumors over the past 20 years.

BACKGROUND

Immunotherapy, remarkably immune checkpoint inhibitors, has shown significant efficacy and survival benefits in patients with various solid tumors. Although T lymphocytes have been extensively studied as the primary target cells, the role and application of B cells in solid tumor immunotherapy remain less understood.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of articles on solid tumor immunotherapy related to B cells, published from 2003 to March 28, 2024, in the Web of Science Core Collection. Co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence analyses were performed using VOSviewer, while CiteSpace was used to identify burst keywords and references.

RESULTS

A total of 1995 publications were analyzed, revealing a year-on-year increase in articles. The most common keywords are "immunotherapy" and "expression". The most frequently referenced publications focused on tertiary lymphoid structures and B-cell markers. The United States and China are the largest contributors to this field, with Frontiers in Immunology being the most prolific journal. This study provides a comprehensive overview of over 20 years of B cell and immunotherapy research in solid tumors, identifying key countries, institutions, authors, journals, and publications.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings offer valuable insights into the relationship between B cells and immunotherapy in solid tumors. This study primarily unveils the current research hotspots concerning the role of B cells in immunotherapy, encompassing both fundamental research and clinical trials, as well as the accelerating emergence of an increasing number of B-cell-centric immunotherapies.