Research hotspots and emerging trends of exosomes in myocardial infarction: a bibliometric-based visual analysis

The aim of this study was to summarize the current research status and application of exosomes in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) through bibliometric analysis and to provide insights and suggestions for future research.

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection database for publications on exosome-based treatments for MI from 2000 to 2023. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace.

A total of 6138 authors from 96 institutions in 65 countries and regions published 1062 articles in 358 academic journals. The majority of publications were from China and the United States. Nanjing Medical University and Soochow University are the most active institutions. Cheng was the author with the highest number of publications, while Barile was the most co-cited. The International Journal of Molecular Sciences had the highest publication output while Circulation Research was the most cited journal. Current research focuses on areas likely to be future hot topics, such as "repair," "mesenchymal stem cells," "progenitor cells," "endothelial cells," "expression," "bone marrow," "apoptosis," "drug delivery," "inflammation," and "cells." Future research directions include exploring the mechanisms of exosomes from various cellular sources for MI treatment, investigating different drug delivery modes, developing post-MI therapeutic strategies, regulating apoptotic protein expression, and emphasizing the roles of different stem cells and molecules in exosome studies for MI treatment.

In the field of MI, exosomes represent an excellent drug delivery system. This analysis offers valuable insights into research hotspots and cutting-edge directions for scholars in related fields.