Global research trends on endoplasmic reticulum stress in retinal diseases from 2000 to 2024

To comprehensively explore global research trends on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in retinal diseases over the past 24 years.

An analysis of 917 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection, spanning from 1 January 2000 to 15 April 2024, was conducted to explore ERS research in retinal diseases. Bibliometric and visualisation software was employed to identify key contributors and research trends.

Hideaki Hara and Sarah X. Zhang were identified as the most published and most cited authors, respectively. The United States led in both publications and citations. Sun Yat-sen University ranked highest in publications, while the University of Oklahoma received the most citations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the leading journal in both publications and citations. A total of 108 of the 1385 author keywords, each occurring five or more times, clustered into four major themes: retinal photoreceptor degeneration, glaucoma and optic nerve damage, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Keywords such as "in vivo", "dominant retinitis pigmentosa", "endothelial growth factor", "molecular", and "quality control" displayed the strongest citation bursts. ERS research (2000 ~ 2024) has evolved from retinal neuroprotection to include specific cell types and diseases, explored signalling pathways and therapeutic mechanisms, and more recently has focused on molecular insights and gene therapy applications.

This bibliometric analysis highlighted significant growth in publications on ERS in retinal diseases, reflecting an increasing scholarly focus. ERS represents a potential target for exploring pathological changes in retinal neuro-microvascular and related disorders, warranting further investigation.