BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide, and patients at advanced stages have a poor prognosis due to delayed diagnosis and limited treatment options. The tumor microenvironment (TME), a critical player in the initiation, progression, and treatment resistance of GC, has garnered significantly increased research focus in recent years. However, there is currently a lack of bibliometric analysis on TME research in GC, making it challenging to pinpoint research hotspots and development trends in this field. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research conducted over the past two decades to identify research hotspots and emerging trends.
METHODS: A comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) retrieved publications on GC TME from 2005 to 2024. Following screening that excluded non-English publications, articles outside the specified timeframe, and non-research articles, 1,486 English publications were ultimately included. Visualization analysis was conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Excel, encompassing annual publication volume, collaborative networks among countries/institutions/authors, journal co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, to reveal research distribution patterns, hotspots, and emerging trends.
RESULTS: Publications on this topic demonstrated a consistent annual increase from 2005 to 2024, reaching a peak annual output of 305 articles in 2024, indicating sustained growth in research activity. China accounted for the highest volume of publications (n=1,098), significantly outnumbering the United States (n=155) and Japan (n=111). The United States (20 collaborating countries/regions) and China (17 collaborating countries/regions) emerged as central nodes in the international collaboration network. Chinese institutions dominated the research output, with Nanjing Medical University (75 publications) and Fudan University (68 publications) ranking highest in productivity. Notably, Nanjing Medical University demonstrated the most extensive collaborative network, partnering with 31 institutions. Xu Zhang emerged as the leading contributor with the highest publication output (20 articles) and most citations (1,453 citations), establishing him as a pivotal figure in this research domain.
CONCLUSIONS: The GC TME research landscape from 2005 to 2024 featured three prominent immunotherapy frontiers: chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T lymphocytes (CAR-T) cell technology, immune checkpoint blockade therapy, and key components of TME. Simultaneously, epigenetic regulation (m6A methylation), computational oncology (machine learning applications), and metastatic microenvironments (liver metastasis patterns) emerged as pivotal research directions. These findings establish a comprehensive framework for GC TME research, delineate current priorities, and offer critical guidance for exploring future therapeutic strategies.
