Data-driven visualization of silica-based nanobiomaterial dynamics for tissue regeneration

Over the past two decades, silica-based nanobiomaterials (SNs) have emerged as a promising frontier in regenerative medicine, garnering substantial interest for their potential applications. Despite this growing interest, a notable lack of comprehensive and dynamic analyses remains, examining the evolution, development trends, research hotspots, and prospects of SNs in this field. To address this gap, we systematically analyzed 853 research articles published between 2006 and 2025 in the Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science Core Collection). Using bibliometric tools-CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny-we generated data-driven visualizations to elucidate publication trends, contributions by countries/regions and institutions, journal distributions, research categories, thematic focuses, reference networks, and keyword dynamics. Our findings reveal a rapid acceleration in research output. While China leads in academic output volume, the United States maintains a significant advantage in average citation frequency, highlighting disparities in research impact. Current research hotspots include drug delivery systems, antimicrobial activity, bone regeneration, and wound healing. Keyword burst analysis identifies emerging frontiers such as mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles, wound healing, and zinc ion dopants. This study not only maps the trajectory of SNs in regenerative medicine but also discusses critical challenges and future directions, offering valuable insights for advancing the field.