Bibliometric analysis of research on spinal cord injury and Mesenchymal stem cell: Trends and frontiers

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious neurotraumatic condition leading to motor and sensory dysfunction. Despite advancements in treatment, a complete cure remains elusive. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has become a popular research area for SCI repair, with numerous publications. However, the current research status and trends are unclear. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of MSC therapy for SCI to identify these trends. Articles related to MSC therapy for SCI were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection. Data on publication year, country, journal, keywords, and citation frequency were analyzed using Bibliometrix and CiteSpace. A total of 1,765 articles were retrieved, showing an increasing trend in publications. "Neural Regeneration Research" had the most and fastest-growing number of publications, with 59 articles. Kocsis, Jeffery D was the most prolific author with 23 articles. China led with 775 publications. However, more collaboration among authors, institutions, and countries is needed. Current research focuses on cell differentiation, axon regeneration, and exosome extraction. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions of MSC therapy research for SCI, providing a foundation for further research and clinical applications.