Global research trends in CAR-T cell therapy for glioblastoma: a bibliometric and visualized analysis

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal primary malignant brain tumor in adults, characterized by extensive heterogeneity and a profoundly immunosuppressive microenvironment. Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, therapeutic outcomes remain poor. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in hematologic malignancies and is now being explored for solid tumors such as GBM. Given the expanding research landscape, a systematic understanding of global trends and hotspots in this domain is urgently needed.

We conducted a comprehensive bibliometric and visualized analysis of publications related to CAR-T cell therapy in GBM from inception to December 31, 2024, using the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace was used to analyze publication trends, country and institutional collaboration, author impact, journal co-citation, reference networks, and keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and bursts.

A total of 303 relevant publications were included. Annual outputs showed rapid growth beginning in 2015, with the United States and China leading in productivity and collaboration. Influential authors such as Christine E. Brown and Donald M. O'Rourke were identified as core contributors. Neuro-Oncology and Clinical Cancer Research emerged as key publishing and co-cited journals. Co-citation and keyword analysis revealed a shift from early focus on single-antigen CAR designs (e.g., IL13Rα2, EGFRvIII) toward dual-target constructs, "armored" CAR-T cells, and combinatorial immunotherapies. Recent research hotspots included immunomodulation, precision medicine, and novel delivery platforms such as nanoparticles and oncolytic viruses.

This study maps the evolving scientific landscape of CAR-T cell therapy in GBM, highlighting key contributors, institutional collaboration, and emerging research frontiers. The transition from basic antigen targeting to multifunctional, immune-enhancing strategies reflects a maturing field with increasing translational focus. Our findings offer valuable insights that can inform strategic funding allocation by identifying high-impact institutions and authors, optimize clinical trial design by highlighting emerging combinatorial and delivery strategies, and guide novel target discovery through analysis of co-cited references and keyword bursts. By revealing global collaboration networks and thematic shifts, this study also supports the development of interdisciplinary research frameworks in CAR-T therapy for GBM.