Analyzing the research landscape: Mapping frontiers and hot spots in anti-cancer research using bibliometric analysis and research network pharmacology

Abstract

Introduction: Network pharmacology has emerged as a forefront and hotspot in anti-cancer. Traditional anti-cancer drugs are limited by the paradigm of “one cancer, one target, one drug,” making it difficult to address the challenges of recurrence and drug resistance. However, the main advantage of network pharmacology lies in its approach from the perspective of molecular network relationships, employing a “one arrow, multiple targets” strategy, which provides a novel pathway for developing anti-cancer drugs. This study employed a bibliometric analysis method to examine network pharmacology’s application and research progress in cancer treatment from January 2008 to May 2023. This research will contribute to revealing its forefront and hotspots, offering new insights and methodologies for future investigations.Methods: We conducted a literature search on network pharmacology research in anti-cancer (NPART) from January 2008 to May 2023, utilizing scientific databases such as Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed to retrieve relevant research articles and reviews. Additionally, we employed visualization tools such as Citespace, SCImago Graphica, and VOSviewer to perform bibliometric analysis.Results: This study encompassed 3,018 articles, with 2,210 articles from WoSCC and 808 from PubMed. Firstly, an analysis of the annual national publication trends and citation counts indicated that China and the United States are the primary contributing countries in this field. Secondly, the recent keyword analysis revealed emerging research hotspots in “tumor microenvironment,” “anti-cancer drugs,” and “traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). “ Furthermore, the literature clustering analysis demonstrated that “calycosin,” “molecular mechanism,” “molecular docking,” and “anti-cancer agents” were widely recognized research hotspots and forefront areas in 2023, garnering significant attention and citations in this field. Ultimately, we analyzed the application of NPART and the challenges.Conclusion: This study represents the first comprehensive analysis paper based on bibliometric methods, aiming to investigate the forefront hotspots of network pharmacology in anti-cancer research. The findings of this study will facilitate researchers in swiftly comprehending the current research trends and forefront hotspots in the domain of network pharmacology in cancer research.

Decoding the research landscape of drug resistance and therapeutic approaches in head and neck cancer: a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2023

“…The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) is a comprehensive scholarly treasure trove covering more than 190 subject areas worldwide. The database is widely recognized as an outstanding resource for bibliometric research in a variety of disciplines, providing superior literature retrieval and citation analysis services (Han et al, 2023).…”

“…It also allows us to explore the contributions made by individuals from different institutions and countries. Medical fields have widely used bibliometrics as a research method in recent years (Cheng et al, 2022;Han et al, 2023). This paper is the first study to systematically analyze therapeutic drug resistance in head and neck cancer using bibliometric methods.…”

Exploring therapeutic targets and molecular mechanisms for treating diabetes mellitus-associated heart failure with Qishen Yiqi dropping pills: A network pharmacology and bioinformatics approach

“…Consequently, network pharmacology can effectively predict drug efficacy, potential side effects, discover new drug applications, and optimize combination therapies, offering novel insights and tools for tackling complex diseases. [15][16][17] In this research, network pharmacology and bioinformatics were combined to determine the primary targets and pathways implicated in the use of QSDP for treating DM-HF. Furthermore, the molecular targets of QSDP specifically for DM-HF treatment were identified.…”

Current trends and emerging patterns in the application of nanomaterials for ovarian cancer research: a bibliometric analysis

“…Bibliometric analysis is a statistical approach that utilizes public literature databases to conduct quantitative and qualitative evaluation on publications of interest, by which the research trends and hotpots within a specific field can be concluded. Recently, bibliometrics has been employed in the investigation of nanomaterials (Bhandari et al, 2022;Zhao et al, 2022;Han et al, 2023). However, there is a dearth of bibliometric analysis regarding the utilization of nanomaterials in the context of OC.…”