Telomerase-related advances in hepatocellular carcinoma: A bibliometric and visual analysis

Mapping the evolution of liver aging research: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND

With the increasing of the global aging population, healthy aging and prevention of age-related diseases have become increasingly important. The liver, a vital organ involved in metabolism, detoxification, digestion, and immunity, holds a pivotal role in the aging process of organisms. Although extensive research on liver aging has been carried out, no bibliometric analysis has been conducted to evaluate the scientific progress in this area.

AIM

To analyze basic knowledge, development trends, and current research frontiers in the field via bibliometric methods.

METHODS

We conducted bibliometric analyses via a range of analytical tools including Python, the bibliometrix package in R, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. We retrieved publication data on liver aging research from the Web of Science Core Collection Database. A scientific knowledge map was constructed to display the contributions from different authors, journals, countries, institutions, as well as patterns of co-occurrence keywords and co-cited references. Additionally, gene regulation pathways associated with liver aging were analyzed via the STRING database.

RESULTS

We identified 4288 articles on liver aging, authored by 24034 contributors from 4092 institutions across 85 countries. Notably, the years 1991 and 2020 presented significant bursts in publication output. The United States led in terms of publications (n = 1008, 25.1%), citations (n = 55205), and international collaborations (multiple country publications = 214). Keywords such as "lipid metabolism", "fatty liver disease", "inflammation", "liver fibrosis" and "target" were prominent, highlighting the current research hotspots. Notably, the top 64 genes, each of which appeared in at least 8 articles, were involved in pathways essential for cell survival and aging, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, Forkhead box O and p53 signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights key areas of liver aging and offers a comprehensive overview of research trends, as well as insights into potential value for collaborative pursuits and clinical implementations.

Editor-in-Chief articles of choice and comments from January to June 2024

As the Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Gastroenterology, I carefully review all articles every week before a new issue’s online publication, including the title, clinical and research importance, originality, novelty, and ratings by the peer reviewers. Based on this review, I select the papers of choice and suggest pertinent changes (e.g., in the title or text) to the company editors responsible for publication. This process, while time-consuming, is essential for assuring the quality of publications and highlighting important articles that readers may revisit.