Research Trends in Molecular Biological Studies on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background: Since the discovery of PCR and ELISA, in vitro research in the realm of molecular biology pertaining to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has witnessed significant expansion. Objective: to provide a comprehensive overview of molecular biology research on OSCC through visual mapping techniques. Methods: We conducted an analysis of publications within the "oral squamous cell carcinoma" category from Scopus' core collection. On 20 January 2023, we screened these publications using an advanced search employing the keywords "oral squamous cell cancer" and "cell line." Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and VOSviewer, facilitating the examination of author contributions, journal productivity, institutional affiliations, and contributions by nations. VOSviewer was further utilized for co-occurrence and reference analysis of keywords. Results: A total of 781 papers spanning from 1992 to 2023 were collected. Notably, Japan, China, and the United States emerged as significant contributors in this field. The Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry (Japan) ranked first with 21 publications. Chae J-I of Chonbuk National University (South Korea) emerged as the most prolific author, with 14 publications. The International Journal of Oncology and the Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine were identified as the two most prolific journals. The central themes that emerged were epidermal growth factor receptor, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and metastasis. Conclusion: The rate of publications focused on the molecular biology of OSCC has seen a remarkable increase. Research priorities have shifted from topics such as "radiation, RANKL, cyclin D1, RNA interference, and matrix metalloproteinase" to encompass areas such as "chemoresistance due to cisplatin, other therapeutic agents (metformin and monoclonal antibody), autophagy, inflammation, microRNA, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and STAT3 (with roles in cell migration and tumorigenesis)." These seven significant future research areas hold promise in identifying reliable biological markers for oral cancer detection and treatment, thereby improving clinical outcomes.