Knowledge mapping of cell therapy in rheumatoid arthritis disease: a bibliometric analysis (2003-2022)

Abstract Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune joint disease characterized by persistent synovitis and systemic inflammation of the joints. Cell therapy, a cellular drug delivery therapy based on the control of immune dysregulation, inflammatory cytokine production, and overall systemic inflammation, is expected to reverse the process of joint destruction when applied to RA. Based on this, the field of cell therapy applied to RA treatment has been gaining attention in recent years and many results have been achieved. Bibliometric analysis can provide insight into the development of a field. This study aims to provide an overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of cell therapy in RA through bibliometrics. Method: The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was used to search the literature on cellular therapies related to RA between 2003 and 2022. VOSviewers, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrics" were used to perform the bibliometric analysis. Results: This article includes 8822 articles from 107 countries, mainly from China and the United States. Fluctuating growth in the number of articles published on cell therapy applied to RA. The University of Amsterdam, Harvard University, Karolinska Institutet, and Stanford University are the main research institutions. The journal Arthritis research & therapy is the most popular journal in the field, and the journal Annals of rheumatic diseases is the most frequently cited. 41982 authors have published in this field, including more collaborative publications; Tak, paul p, Emery, paul, Doerner, Thomas, Isaacs, john d, Tanaka, and Yoshida have published several papers, while Arnett Fc is the author of most frequently cited paper. The University of Amsterdam has been extensively involved in the publication of papers on this topic. Swedish and Korean scientists have published fewer relevant papers as corresponding authors, but have been extensively involved in the investigation of this topic. Studying the mechanisms of various factors (e.g. immune cells, immune molecules, cytokines, and inflammatory responses) in the occurrence and development of RA and studying the therapeutic strategies of cellular therapies for the future precision treatment of RA are the two main topics in this research area. "T cells", "bone marrow (BM) transplantation", "mesenchymal cells", and "monoclonal antibodies" are the emerging research top keywords of the hot spots. Conclusion: This article is the first bibliometric study that comprehensively summarizes the research trends and their developments in the application of cell therapy to the treatment of RA. The content includes recent research results and hot directions in the field, providing reference information for scholars studying cell therapy and RA.