Bacteriophage-mediated gut microbiota regulation: a bibliometric landscape analysis (2005-2024)

This study systematically evaluates the current situation, knowledge structure and development trend of bacteriophage-mediated intestinal microbiota regulation research from 2005 to 2024 through literature measurement analysis.

Retrieve relevant research from the Web of Science core collection, Scopus and PubMed databases. After screening according to inclusion criteria, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-bibliometrix were employed for bibliometric and visualization analysis. This systematically mapped publication trends, collaboration networks among countries/institutions/authors, core journals, and research hotspots.

Thousands of relevant studies were included. From 2005 to 2024, the number of papers published in microbiology journals showed a step-by-step increase, reaching a peak of 355 articles in 2022. The United States and China are the main contributors. University College Cork in Ireland and San Diego State University in the United States have become core research institutions, and Colin Hill is listed as the most influential author. The Frontiers in Microbiology has published the largest number of papers, and Microbiome and Nature Communications have become platforms for the publication of high-impact research results. The research focus has shifted from the description of early bacteriophage-bacterial binary interaction to exploring the ternary relationship of "bacteriophage-microbiota-host health." In recent years, short-chain fatty acids, microbiota disorders and clinical intervention have become the core research directions. This study included 16 clinical trials on phage-mediated gut microbiota regulation, 14 of which were based on moderate to high-quality clinical evidence, indicating that research design in this field has advanced from the initial observational stage to the intervention verification stage.

This research systematically sorts out the research progress of 20 years in the field of bacteriophage-mediated intestinal microbiota regulation through the method of literature metrology. The research clearly outlines the evolutionary trajectory of this field from basic description to mechanism exploration to clinical transformation. Future research should focus on the following directions: clarifying the molecular mechanism of the interaction of core diseases, establishing a standardized research framework, and carrying out large-scale multi-center clinical trials to promote the transformation of this field from basic research to clinical application.