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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1478092
Global Trends in Tumor-Associated Neutrophil Research: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1 First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- 2 Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- 3 First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China
AbstractBackground: Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) play crucial roles in tumor progression, immune response modulation, and the therapeutic outcomes. Despite significant advancements in TAN research, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that objectively presents the current status and trends in this field is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by visually analyzing global trends in TANs research using bibliometric and knowledge mapping techniques. Methods: We retrieved articles and reviews related to TANs from the Web of Science core collection database, spanning the period from 2012 to2024. The data was analyzed using bibliometric tools such as Excel 365, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix (R-Tool of R-Studio) to identify key trends, influential countries and institutions, collaborative networks. and citation patterns. Results: A total of 6l5 publications were included in the bibliometric analysis, showing a significant upward trend in TANs research over the last two decades. The United States and China emerged as the leading contributors with the highest number of publications and citations. The journal with the most publications in this field is Frontiers in Immunology, Prominent authors such as Fridlender ZG was identified as the key contributor, with his works frequently cited. The analysis highlighted major research themes. including the role of TANs in tumor microenvironment modulation, their dual functions in tumor promotion and suppression, and the exploration of TANs-targeted therapies, Emerging research hotspots include studies on TANs plasticity and their interactions with other immune cells.Conclusion: This study is the first to employ bibliometric methods to visualize trends and frontiers in TANs research. The findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of the field, highlighting critical areas for future investigation and potential collaborative opportunities. This comprehensive analysis serves as a crucial resource for researchers and practitioners aiming to advance TAN research and its application in cancer therapy.
Keywords: Tumor-associated neutrophil, Tumor Microenvironment, VOSviewer, Citespace, visual analysis 2.2 Data collection WOS Categories, Research areas, WOS Editions (print only), Cited references
Received: 09 Aug 2024; Accepted: 21 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Dong, Wu, Kang and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Shaodong Li, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
Guoqiang Yan, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.