Evolution in lung IRI cell death research: a 20-year global bibliometric study (2005–2024)

Background: Lung ischemia–reperfusion injury (LIRI) is a central pathological mechanism underlying primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation. Regulated cell death modalities – including apoptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis – are increasingly recognized as key drivers of LIRI. However, research is fragmented, with shifting foci and limited integration of the overall knowledge structure. Methods: We retrieved 2462 English-language articles (2005–2024) from the Web of Science Core Collection and conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, examining publication trends, international collaborations, keyword co-occurrence, and co-citation networks. Results: The United States (941 publications) and China (809 publications) accounted for 71.1% of global output. Thematic evolution showed a transition from an early focus on “ischemia–reperfusion injury” and “inflammation” to mechanistic studies of “apoptosis” and “oxidative stress.” Since 2020, emerging pathways such as “ferroptosis,” “mitophagy,” and “exosomes” have become prominent, with “ferroptosis” surging in 2022–2023 as a leading frontier. Co-citation analyses revealed that U.S. and Chinese research ecosystems drive experimental modeling and theoretical innovation, respectively, while cross-regional collaboration remains limited. Conclusions: LIRI research is shifting from classical inflammation–apoptosis paradigms toward a multidimensional, mechanistically nuanced framework. The dual-core structure of China and the United States, coupled with increasing integration of basic and clinical studies, highlights a growing convergence across organ systems. The data-driven knowledge map provided here offers a strategic reference for future translational and therapeutic research.