Research Trends and Hotspots in JAK Inhibitors for Ulcerative Colitis: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2015 to 2024

To systematically investigate international trends and dynamics in research on Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor applications for ulcerative colitis (UC) management over the past decade (2015-2024) and delineate current research frontiers.

Publications was retrieved from the Web of Science core collection database and subjected to bibliometric analysis. VOSviewers, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and Excel were used to conduct this bibliometric analysis and visualization.

A total of 696 articles were included. Publication output exhibited an overall upward trajectory. The United States ranked first in global publication volume and served as the central hub for multiple extensive collaborative networks. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases published the highest number of relevant studies. William J. Sandborn emerged as the most academically influential scholar. Both reference and keyword analyses revealed that early research (pre-2018) focused on clinical efficacy validation and drug development of JAK inhibitors, while post-2018 studies shifted toward systematic evaluations of efficacy and safety, integration of clinical practice guidelines, and development of novel subtype selective JAK inhibitors.

This study delineates the evolution of JAK inhibitor research in UC over the past decade. Future efforts should prioritize strengthening global collaboration, advancing novel subtype selective JAK inhibitors, generating long-term safety data from clinical trials, and optimizing patient-stratified treatment strategies to address unmet therapeutic needs.