A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature on NK Cells and Prostate Cancer Therapy

Abstract: Objective To conduct a visual analysis of the field of NK cell therapy for prostate cancer research using software such as CiteSpace and VOS viewer, exploring the research hotspots and trends in the field of NK cells for prostate cancer over the past decade.
Methods Based on the core databases of Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, and the Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, relevant Chinese literature collected from these sources is analyzed visually using CiteSpace, VOS viewer, and the Bibliometric website. The analysis covers the annual distribution, countries, authors, institutions, journals, and keywords of articles published over the past decade (2014-2023) to explore the hot topics and trends in this research field.
Results A search yielded 166 Chinese-language articles and 380 English-language articles, with an overall publication trend that is slightly fluctuating but generally increasing. According to the statistical results, the United States has the highest number of English-language publications. The top one author in terms of Chinese-language publications is Wang ting. For English-language publications, the top one author is Moretta, Alessandro. The top three institutions for Chinese-language publications are Shandong University, Zhengzhou University, Anhui Medical University; the top three institutions for English-language publications are the American Cancer Society, the University of Washington, King’s College London. After excluding Chinese and English search terms, the top three high-frequency keywords in Chinese-language articles are macrophages, radiotherapy, and apoptosis; in English-language articles, the top three high-frequency keywords are dendritic cells, immunotherapy, and tumor microenvironment. Analysis of keywords and emerging terms reveals that the research hotspots in the field of NK cell therapy for prostate cancer include the combination therapy of immune cells with NK cells, the inhibitory effect of the tumor microenvironment on NK cells, and enhancing the proliferative capacity and cytotoxicity of NK cells.