Research Hotspots and Trends of the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway in Spinal Cord Injury: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Abstract

Objective: Poor neurological recovery after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) remains a major clinical challenge. The Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway plays a critical regulatory role in the pathological progression of SCI. This study aimed to systematically analyze the research status, hotspots, and developmental trends of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in SCI using bibliometric methods, thereby identifying research gaps and emerging frontiers to inform the development of more effective therapeutic strategies for SCI.

Methods: Publications related to SCI and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Following literature screening and data standardization, bibliometric and visualization analyses were performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to evaluate countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and references associated with this research field.

Results: A total of 317 publications were included. The annual publication output demonstrated a phased increase, with rapid growth after 2014 and a peak in 2025. Thirty-four countries contributed to this field, with China identified as the leading contributor. China, the United States, and South Korea collectively accounted for more than 90% of the total publications. Wenzhou Medical University ranked as the most productive institution, and Xiao, Jian was among the most influential authors. The core journals were predominantly JCR Q1 journals in neuroscience and pharmacology, including Molecular Neurobiology. Research hotspots primarily focused on PI3K/Akt-mediated apoptosis and autophagy regulation, microglia-driven neuroinflammation, pyroptosis mechanisms, and translational strategies involving exosomes, hydrogels, and mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, the integration of network pharmacology and multi-omics bioinformatics approaches has substantially advanced mechanistic exploration in this field.

Discussion: This bibliometric analysis revealed that the PI3K/Akt pathway is a central regulatory hub in the pathological microenvironment of SCI, with the research focus gradually shifting from basic mechanistic exploration (apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation) to translational intervention strategies. The global research landscape is dominated by Chinese institutions and scholars, indicating strong academic momentum in this field. Moreover, the rapid development of network pharmacology and bioinformatics provides a new paradigm for multi-target and systematic research, which helps bridge basic research and clinical translation more effectively. These findings highlight the importance of PI3K/Akt-targeted regulation in neuroprotection and functional recovery after SCI and highlight key directions for future mechanistic research and therapeutic development.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis comprehensively maps the research landscape of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in SCI over the past two decades, highlighting current hotspots and future research directions. Bioinformatics approaches and translational intervention strategies represent key future directions in this field and are expected to offer novel therapeutic avenues for SCI repair and treatment.