Global research trends of immunosenescence and immunotherapy: A bibliometric study

Immunosenescence refers to the gradual decline in immune system function with age, increasing susceptibility to infections and cancer in the elderly. The advent of novel immunotherapies has revolutionized the field of cancer treatment. However, the majority of patients exhibit poor re-sponses to immunotherapy, with immunosenescence likely playing a significant role. In recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the interplay between immunosenescence and immunotherapy. Our research aims to explore the prospects and development trends in the field of immunosenescence and immunotherapy using a bibliometric analysis. Relevant articles were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) (retrieved on July 20, 2024). Primary bibliometric characteristics were analyzed using the R package “Biblio-metrix,” and keyword co-occurrence analysis and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer. A total of 213 English-language original research and review articles spanning 35 years were re-trieved for bibliometric analysis. There was a surge in publications in this field starting in 2017. The United States and China contributed the most articles. Frontiers in Immunology was the most productive journal, while the University of California System was the highest contributing institution. Besse Benjamin from France emerged as the most influential researcher in this field. Popular keywords included “nivolumab,” “T cells,” “dendritic cells,” and “regulatory T cells.” The “immunosenescence-associated secretory phenotype” has become a new hotspot, with immune checkpoint inhibitors remaining a central theme in this domain. The field of immunosenescence and immunotherapy is entering a phase of rapid development and will continue to hold significant value in future research.

免疫衰老（Immunosenescence）指的是免疫系统功能随年龄增长逐渐衰退，会提升老年人罹患感染与癌症的易感性。新型免疫疗法的出现彻底革新了癌症治疗领域。然而，绝大多数患者对免疫疗法应答不佳，免疫衰老很可能在此过程中发挥了关键作用。近年来，学界在解析免疫衰老与免疫疗法间的相互作用方面已取得显著进展。本研究旨在通过文献计量分析，探索免疫衰老与免疫疗法领域的研究前景与发展趋势。研究数据源自Web of Science核心合集（Web of Science Core Collection, WoSCC），检索时间为2024年7月20日。使用R语言包"Bibliometrix"分析核心文献计量特征，并借助VOSviewer完成关键词共现分析与可视化。本次研究共检索得到213篇英文原创研究与综述论文，时间跨度达35年，用于本次文献计量分析。该领域的文献发表量自2017年起呈现爆发式增长。美国与中国的发文量位居全球前列。《Frontiers in Immunology》是该领域发文量最高的期刊，加利福尼亚大学系统是贡献论文最多的科研机构。来自法国的Besse Benjamin成为该领域最具影响力的研究者。热门关键词包括纳武利尤单抗（nivolumab）、T细胞（T cells）、树突状细胞（dendritic cells）以及调节性T细胞（regulatory T cells）。免疫衰老相关分泌表型（immunosenescence-associated secretory phenotype）已成为新的研究热点，而免疫检查点抑制剂仍是该领域的核心研究主题。免疫衰老与免疫疗法领域正处于快速发展阶段，未来仍将具备极高的研究价值。