From immunological mechanisms to targeted therapies: a bibliometric analysis in the domain of research concerning neutrophil extracellular traps and pulmonary diseases (2006–2025)

Objectives Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a crucial mechanism of the neutrophil immune response and exhibit complex dual pathological and physiological effects in pulmonary diseases. In recent years, this research domain has increased significantly, yet systematic bibliometric research remains absent. Therefore, this study utilizes bibliometric methods to thoroughly examine the research landscape and development sequence of this domain, aiming to provide theoretical references for future research. Methods In this study, VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to conduct a visualization analysis of the article concerning NETs and pulmonary diseases indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases from January 1st, 2006, to December 31st, 2025. Additionally, we utilized the R package bibliometric and Origin 2025b to optimize the data and visualization charts, ensuring that the analytical results were presented with greater clarity and intuitiveness. Results This study covered 1, 539 articles from 561 journals. The results indicate that since 2006, this domain has seen a phased growth trend. The phase from 2010 to 2018 was a stable growth phase; After 2019, propelled by the COVID-19 virus infection (COVID-19), it entered a significant development phase, and reached its peak in 2022. In terms of influence, China and the United States are leading contributors. Mark R. Looney of the University of California is the core author, and “Frontiers in Immunology” is the most frequently cited journal. Through the visualization analysis of topic categories, keywords, and references indicates that research focal points in this domain have progressively transitioned from initial fundamental mechanisms and pathological descriptions to concerns regarding pulmonary inflammation, immune thrombosis, COVID-19, and biomarkers, subsequently extending to frontiers such as the NLRP3 inflammasome, interstitial lung disease (ILD), and tumor microenvironment (TME). Conclusions This study is the first application of bibliometric methods to visually present research domains related to NETs and pulmonary diseases, revealing the correlation between NETs and ILD, lung cancer (LC), and respiratory infections, along with the underlying mechanisms, continues to be a hot topic in research. However, the predominant function of NETs in specific diseases and their potential utility as therapeutic targets still necessitate further systematic elaboration.