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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1581885
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing Cancer Therapy: Integrating Plant-Derived Bioactives with Chemotherapy through Traditional Knowledge and Modern AdvancesView all 6 articles
Bibliometric Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Cancer Treatment via Immune System Modulation (2015-2025)
Provisionally accepted
Youfeng Lei
Chunyan Chen*- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Objective: The application of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in treating cancer by regulating the immune system has garnered significant attention in the academic community.However, comprehensive quantitative analyses in this field remain limited. This study aims to assess the research progress and key trends over the past decade, providing a framework for future studies.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on the application of TCM in treating cancer by regulating the immune system from 2015 to 2025 using the Web of Science database.The search terms mainly included cancer, Traditional Chinese Medicine, immunity and so on.Data were analyzed and visualized using Origin, R software, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace.Results: A total of 2,459 articles were included in the analysis. The number of related publications has steadily increased since 2015. China leads in publication volume and plays a crucial role in international collaboration. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology is the leading journal in this field, publishing a substantial number of highly cited studies. Key research areas include keywords such as "apoptosis," "expression," "inflammation," "extract," "in vitro," "activation," "antioxidant," and "NF-kappa B," focusing on exploring the role, mechanisms, and efficacy of TCM in modulating immune responses.Research interest in TCM's role in treating cancer through immune system regulation continues to grow, underscoring its potential in cancer therapy. Current research primarily focuses on the mechanisms by which TCM treats cancer through the modulation of immune cell functions, inhibition of tumor immune evasion, and regulation of immune-related signaling pathways. It also explores its clinical applications and the potential for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Keywords: Apoptosis, Expression, Inflammation, extract, activation, antioxidant
Received: 23 Feb 2025; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lei and Chen. 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: Chunyan Chen, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 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.