Current Status and Emerging Trends in Global Research on Liposome Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background: Liposomes are widely used as nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no comprehensive bibliometric study has systematically evaluated global research trends, major research hotspots, and clinical translation progress in liposome-based therapy for HCC. Methods: On September 29, 2025, we queried the Web of Science Core Collection for liposome and HCC publications. Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, we analyzed trends and emerging hotspots. Additionally, we retrieved clinical trial literature on liposome therapy for HCC from the PubMed database and analyzed it to assess clinical progress in this field. Results: A total of 1116 publications related to liposome-based therapy for liver cancer were identified over the past 35 years. China ranked first in publication output, while the Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institution. The International Journal of Nanomedicine published the highest number of articles, and Zhang Bo was the most prolific author. Keyword co-occurrence and citation analyses identified doxorubicin-loaded liposomes, apoptosis, pharmacokinetics, tumor microenvironment, metastasis, and glycyrrhetinic acid-mediated targeting as major research hotspots. Recent studies increasingly focused on targeted nanocarrier design, combination therapy strategies, and tumor-specific delivery systems. Clinical studies mainly investigated liposomal drugs combined with radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound hyperthermia; however, advanced clinical translation remains limited. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of global research activity in liposome-based therapy for HCC. Although substantial progress has been achieved in preclinical nanomedicine research, the limited number of clinical studies highlights a significant translational gap. Future research should prioritize improving targeting efficiency, biosafety, immune modulation, and large-scale clinical applicability of liposomal delivery systems.