Status and trends in glioblastoma lipid metabolism research: a bibliometric analysis

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is the most lethal brain tumor, exhibits high aggressiveness, recurrence, and poor treatment response. The progression of GBM and resistance to therapy is attenuated by metabolic reprogramming and lipid metabolism. In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of GBM lipid metabolism studies starting from the mid-1990s based on 798 publications from Web of Science Core Collection. In particular, publication trends, geographic and institutional distribution, authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and citation bursts, using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-bibliometrix, were examined. Studies published in the US and China increased substantially after 2010. De novo lipogenesis, lipid droplet biology, and treatment targeting of lipid regulatory processes, such as fatty-acid oxidation, were the most frequently studied topics. Recent interest in lipid-immune interactions, ferroptosis, and lipomics suggests that further research is required. This bibliometric overview provides a solid foundation for future studies of GBM lipid metabolism and its clinical translation.