Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer (CAR-NK) cell immunotherapy: A bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2023

Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer (CAR-NK) cells represent a breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy, making this a highly popular research area. However, comprehensive analyses of this field using bibliometric methods are rare. To our knowledge, this study has collected highest number of publications (1,259) on CAR-NK therapy from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2023, and utilized CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze regions, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords to forecast the latest trends in CAR-NK therapy research. The United States and China, contributing over 60% of publications, are the primary drivers in this field. The Helmholtz Association and Harvard University are the most active institutions, with most publications appearing in Frontiers in Immunology. Winfried S. Wels is the most prolific author, while EL Liu is the most frequently co-cited author. "Immunotherapy," "T-cells," and "Cancer" are the most extensively covered topics in CAR-NK therapy research. Our study reveals current CAR-NK research trends, identifies potential research hotspots, and visualizes references through bibliometric methods, providing valuable guidance for future research in this field.