Exploring the progress and trends of immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis spanning nearly two decades.

Abstract

Introduction: Immunotherapy is a crucial treatment for type 1 diabetes (T1D), yet analyses focusing on research priorities and trends in this field are limited. Therefore, this study employs bibliometric methods to systematically explore the current research status of immunotherapy for T1D.

Methods: Based on the Web of Science Core Collection Database, 1573 articles and review articles related to immunotherapy for T1D published from 2004 to 2023 were screened for bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software were applied to comprehensively analyze the number of publications, journals, countries, authors, institutions, keywords, and references.

Results: In the past two decades, the global annual publication rate has seen a significant increase of 238.24%. Almost 40% of all publications have appeared in the last 5 years, accounting for over 50% of total citations. Journals such as Diabetes, Journal of Autoimmunity and Frontiers in Immunology have exerted substantial influence. Collaboration across nations has been notably strong, with the United States leading the way. The University of Florida is the most productive institution. Terms like "nivolumab," "ipilimumab," "pembrolizumab," and "immune checkpoint inhibitor(s)" gain considerable traction. The majority of research has clustered around themes such as immunomodulation, autoimmune diseases, immune checkpoint inhibitors, mesenchymal stem cells, and cell therapy. Precision medicine, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and nanotechnology are trending focal points in contemporary research.

Conclusion: The outcomes of the study are instrumental in enabling scholars to comprehend the evolving trajectory of immunotherapeutic approaches for T1D and facilitate the swift recognition of emerging research pathways.