Current views and trends of nanomaterials as vectors for gene delivery since the 21st century: a bibliometric analysis.

Abstract

Background: Gene therapy is garnering increasing support due to its potential for a "once-delivered, lifelong benefit." The limitations of traditional gene delivery methods have spurred the advancement of bionanomaterials. Despite this progress, a thorough analysis of the evolution, current state, key contributors, focal studies, and future directions of nanomaterials in gene delivery remains absent.

Methods: This study scrutinizes articles from the Web of Science, spanning 1 January 2 000, to 31 December 2023, employing various online tools for analysis and visualization.

Results: The 21st century has witnessed consistent growth in scholarly work in this domain globally, with notable contributions from China and the US. At the same time, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have emerged as the most productive institutions, with CAS's academician Weihong Tan becoming the field's leading author. While drug delivery and nanoparticles (NPs) have been central themes for two decades, the research focus has shifted from modifying NPs and ultrafine particles to exploring polymer-hybrid NPs, mRNA vaccines, immune responses, green synthesis, and CRISPR/Cas tools.

Conclusions: This shift marks the transition from nanomaterials to bionanomaterials. The insights provided by this research offer a comprehensive overview of the field and valuable guidance for future investigations.