Global trends and translational evolution of regulatory T cell research in gastric cancer: a bibliometric mapping (2005–2025)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in shaping the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer and have attracted increasing attention in the context of immunotherapy. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive bibliometric overview of global research on Tregs in gastric cancer from 2005 to 2025 and to identify evolving thematic trends. Methods: Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using a predefined search strategy. A total of 464 English-language publications, including articles and reviews, were included. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the bibliometrix R package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to assess publication trends, country and institutional productivity, collaboration patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and citation bursts. The 50 most-cited publications were further analyzed to identify high-impact thematic focuses. Results: -associated immunomodulation. Temporal and citation-burst analyses revealed an increasing emphasis on immune checkpoint blockade and translational immunotherapy in recent years. Conclusions: This bibliometric study systematically characterizes the global research landscape of Tregs in gastric cancer and highlights a progressive shift from mechanistic and prognostic studies toward immunotherapy-oriented and translational research. The findings also identify key future priorities, including standardized characterization of Treg subsets, validation of Treg-related biomarkers, and integration of spatial and multi-omics approaches with patient-level clinical outcomes.
Source: Translational Cancer Research
Authors: Houshu Tu, Menglin Chen, Panpan Zhu, Jing Hong, Ling He
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223340973