Vascular endothelium is the basic way for stem cells to treat erectile dysfunction: a bibliometric study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Vascular endothelial dysfunction is a critical factor in erectile dysfunction (ED) pathogenesis.
• Understanding research trends and mechanisms is vital for advancing ED treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze research trends in erectile dysfunction and vascular endothelium.
• To elucidate the role and mechanisms of vascular endothelium in ED.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric and visualization analysis using CiteSpace 6.1.R3.
• Analysis of 1431 articles (1991-2022) from Web of Science Core Collection.
• Co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and co-citation analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• Identified influential countries, institutions, authors, and articles.
• Key research areas include stem cell therapy, oxidative stress, cavernous nerve injury, and fibrosis.
• Hot keywords suggest future research directions.

Conclusions:

• Stem cell therapy for ED, particularly for diabetes (DM) ED and cavernous nerve injury (CNI) ED, represents a significant future research trend.
• Stem cells likely improve ED by enhancing endothelial function.
• Vascular endothelial cells and VEGF may directly or indirectly repair neural and smooth muscle tissues, restoring erectile function.