Recent developments in photothermal therapy: A bibliometric and visual analysis (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Photothermal therapy (PTT) has recently garnered significant attention as a prominent noninvasive treatment modality for a broad spectrum of diseases. Despite the increasing volume of scholarly output over the last 20 years, a holistic synthesis delineating worldwide research trajectories remains elusive. OBJECTIVE We undertook a bibliometric analysis of the literature spanning 2004 to 2023 aiming to delineate the prevailing focal points and illuminate prospective research avenues. METHODS Research articles on PTT were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Using tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, we performed a comprehensive analysis and visualization of annual publication trends, favored academic journals, global collaborative networks, co-cited references, and prevalent keywords. RESULTS Over the past 20 years, 11,184 academic papers on PTT have been published. Among the contributing countries, China had the highest number of publications, accounting for 70.1% of the total number of research papers, with the top 10 publishing institutions also being from China. Journals related to PTT primarily comprised interdisciplinary and comprehensive journals. Research related to PTT has primarily focused on its antitumor properties. Based on keyword search analysis, we concluded that “chemodynamic therapy,” “nanozyme,” “immunogenic cell death,” and “antimicrobial” reflected the current research hotspots. CONCLUSIONS Medical applications of PTT have garnered considerable attention, with notable contributions emerging from Chinese research institutions. Current focal areas in this domain include the synergistic combination of PTT with photodynamic therapy, the immunological mechanisms of PTT to enhance its therapeutic efficacy, the integrated use of PTT with nanoenzyme catalysis, and the role of PTT in antimicrobial applications. This bibliometric analysis serves as a pioneering effort that examines the medical applications of PTT, offering insights into the global research landscape, key areas of interest, and emerging trends, thereby providing a valuable reference for future studies in this field.