Driving innovations in cancer research through spatial metabolomics: a bibliometric review of trends and hotspot

作者：Shupeng Chen, Yuzhe Zhang, Yuzhe Zhang, Xiaojian Li, Ye Zhang, Ye Zhang, Yingjian Zeng · 发表于：Frontiers in Immunology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fimmu.2025.1589943 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies、Immune cells in cancer、Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism

Background: Spatial metabolomics has revolutionized cancer research by offering unprecedented insights into the metabolic heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unlike conventional metabolomics, which lacks spatial resolution, spatial metabolomics enables the visualization of metabolic interactions among cancer cells, stromal components, and immune cells within their native tissue context. Despite its growing significance, a systematic and visualized analysis of spatial metabolomics in cancer research remains lacking, particularly in the integration of multi-omics data and the standardization of methodologies for comprehensive tumor metabolic mapping. Objectives: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to systematically evaluate the development trends, key contributors, research hotspots, and future directions of spatial metabolomics in cancer research. Methods: A bibliometric approach was employed using data retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Analytical tools such as VOSviewer and CiteSpace were utilized to visualize and assess co-citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, and institutional collaborations. Key metrics, including publication trends, authorship influence, country contributions, and journal impact, were analyzed to map the research landscape in this domain. Results: A total of 182 publications on spatial metabolomics in cancer research were identified over the past two decades, with a notable surge in research output beginn...