The Latin America comet (LA-COMET) Group: A bibliometric study and quantitative analysis of the technical...

The comet assay is a versatile tool for evaluating DNA damage; its use has spread worldwide, including in Latin America. The LA-COMET group is a Latin American collaborative network. In a bibliometric study, we have analyzed 246 publications from seven countries, particularly with regard to topics addressed and impact. Quality scores (QSca) were assigned, based on the technical performance of the alkaline comet assay. Most (60 %) of the publications were scored with QSca 60 points out of 63 or better. Among the most common topics of interest are cancer, in vivo assays, DNA damage, pollution, and gene expression. We highlight the wide range of research topics, categorized into a) human monitoring studies; b) in vitro studies; and c) studies in animal and plant models. The LA-COMET group is encouraging collaborations, both within and beyond the group, to address topics of interest in genetic toxicology.