Mapping non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in cancer research: Bibliometric trends, emerging themes, and implications for diagnostics and therapy
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as significant regulators in cancer biology, modulating gene expression via transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic pathways. Their functions in apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are essential to tumorigenesis, advancement, and metastasis. This study presents a bibliometric overview of global research trends, collaborative networks, and hotspots in cancer-related ncRNA research (2005–2024). Bibliometric mapping was integrated with a targeted literature review, employing prevalent author-keywords as anchors to identify theme clusters. These clusters underscore research hotspots, while the integrated literature synthesis contextualizes the most actively studied biological themes, correlating publication patterns with established knowledge. The Scopus database was employed for data collecting, providing extensive coverage of peer-reviewed literature. Bibliometric tools, such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, were utilized to examine keyword co-occurrences, define conceptual clusters, and show international cooperation. China published the most ncRNA-related cancer papers and had highest total number of citations, whereas the United States ranked second in both publishing output and total citations but had a higher citation rate per article. Overall, these findings show the distribution of research production and citation patterns among leading contributing countries, with variances in average citation rates due in part to disparities in publishing volume. A focused literature review, directed by the analyses of the retrieved author keywords, revealed that the main research domains center on the regulatory roles of ncRNAs in apoptosis, autophagy, metastasis, inflammation, and clinical applications. Emerging themes, such as their involvement in angiogenesis and immune evasion, underscore the dynamic and evolving nature of this field.
Keywords:
Lncrnas, Cancer Biology, Bibliometric Analysis, Apoptosis, Autophagy, Good Health and Well-BeingFull Text:
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.62940/als.v13i1.4001
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