A Bibliometric and Knowledge-Map Analysis of CAR-T Cells From 2009 to 2021

OBJECTIVES: A bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis is used to explore hotspots’ evolution and development trends in the CAR-T cell field. By looking for research hotspots and new topics, we can provide new clues and ideas for researchers in this field. METHODS: The articles and reviews regarding CAR-T cells were retrieved and obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) on October 28th, 2021. CtieSpace [version 5.8.R3 (64-bit)] and VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) were used to conduct the bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis. RESULTS: 660 authors from 488 institutions in 104 countries/regions published 6,867 papers in 1,212 academic journals. The United States was absolutely in the leading position in this research field. The institution that contributed the most publications was the University of Pennsylvania. Carl H June published the most articles, while Shannon L Maude had the most co-citations. However, there was little cooperation between countries. After 2012, cooperation among various institutions was also small. The journals that published the most CAR-T cell-related papers were Frontiers in immunology and Cancers. Nevertheless, Blood and The New England Journal of Medicine were the most commonly co-cited journals. The most influential research hotspots were the research of CAR-T cells in hematological malignancies, the related research of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), CD19, and the anti-tumor activity and efficacy of CAR-T cells. The latest hotspots and topics included the study of CAR-T cells in solid tumors, universal CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells, CD22, and anakinra (the IL-1 receptor antagonist). The research of CAR-T cells in solid tumors was a rapidly developing hot field. Emerging topics in this field mainly included the study of CAR-T cells in glioblastoma (related targets: IL13Rα2, EGFRvIII, and HER2), neuroblastoma (related target: GD2), sarcoma (related target: HER2), and pancreatic cancer (related target: mesothelin), especially glioblastoma. CONCLUSION: As an anti-tumor therapy with great potential and clinical application prospects, CAR-T cell therapy is still in a stage of rapid development. The related field of CAR-T cells will remain a research hotspot in the future.