Han Guosong, Zhang Huihui, Li Zhixiang
Department of Orthopedics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, Anhui, China.
Oncology Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Aug 28;16:1606186. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1606186. eCollection 2025.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a severe traumatic disorder of the central nervous system, leading to potential loss of motor and sensory functions. Its intricate pathological mechanism renders its treatment a formidable challenge. Recently, hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for spinal cord repair due to their exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability, garnering significant attention. Consequently, extensive research on hydrogel applications in spinal cord injuries aims to provide an in-depth understanding of this field's current state and delineate future research trajectories.
A thorough search was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometric tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphica, R and Bibliometrix software were employed to construct a knowledge map regarding the application of hydrogel in SCI.
A bibliometric analysis of 1,015 publications between 2000 and 2025 elucidates the current research landscape, developmental trends, academic impact, and emerging knowledge dissemination patterns in hydrogel applications for SCI. The international collaboration in hydrogels-based SCI research exhibits a China-U.S.-centered network structure: as the top two publishing countries (464 vs. 278 publications), they maintain the closest bilateral collaboration, collectively forming a prominent transnational research network. The journal Biomaterials boasts the highest number of publications with 58 articles. Among prolific authors, Shoichet, Molly S., has authored the most papers, totaling 38 articles. There is a notable collaboration among various countries and institutions, with current research predominantly focusing on inflammation, apoptosis, nanoparticles, and injectable hydrogels. These efforts aim to achieve functionalized hydrogel regulation of microenvironmental changes, emerging as a focal point in contemporary research. This research highlights the latest trend of hydrogels in the treatment of SCI, thus pointing out the direction for new treatment strategies.
The current research focus, which include the integration of functionalized hydrogels with biological factors, are setting the stage for subsequent investigative endeavors and the eventual clinical application of hydrogel in the treatment of SCI. This comprehensive analysis not only delineates the current state and emerging frontiers of hydrogel-based treatments for SCI but also provides a roadmap for future innovation.
脊髓损伤（SCI）是中枢神经系统的一种严重创伤性疾病，会导致运动和感觉功能的潜在丧失。其复杂的病理机制使其治疗成为一项艰巨的挑战。近年来，水凝胶因其卓越的生物相容性和生物降解性，成为脊髓修复的有前景材料，备受关注。因此，关于水凝胶在脊髓损伤中的应用的广泛研究旨在深入了解该领域的现状并描绘未来的研究轨迹。
使用科学网核心合集（WoSCC）进行了全面搜索。采用CiteSpace、VOSviewer、Scimago Graphica、R和Bibliometrix软件等文献计量工具，构建了关于水凝胶在脊髓损伤中应用的知识图谱。
对2000年至2025年期间的1015篇出版物进行的文献计量分析阐明了水凝胶在脊髓损伤应用中的当前研究格局、发展趋势、学术影响和新兴知识传播模式。基于水凝胶的脊髓损伤研究中的国际合作呈现出以中美为中心的网络结构：作为发表论文数量最多的两个国家（分别为464篇和278篇），它们保持着最密切的双边合作，共同形成了一个突出的跨国研究网络。《生物材料》杂志发表的文章数量最多，为58篇。在多产作者中，莫莉·S·肖谢特撰写的论文最多，共计38篇。各国和各机构之间存在显著合作，当前研究主要集中在炎症、细胞凋亡、纳米颗粒和可注射水凝胶方面。这些努力旨在实现功能化水凝胶对微环境变化的调节，这已成为当代研究的一个焦点。本研究突出了水凝胶在脊髓损伤治疗中的最新趋势，从而为新的治疗策略指明了方向。
当前的研究重点，包括功能化水凝胶与生物因子的整合，为后续的研究工作以及水凝胶在脊髓损伤治疗中的最终临床应用奠定了基础。这种全面分析不仅描绘了基于水凝胶的脊髓损伤治疗的现状和新兴前沿，还为未来的创新提供了路线图。
