Correlation between gut microbiota and tumor immune microenvironment: A bibliometric and visualized study

BACKGROUND In recent years, numerous reports have been published regarding the relationship between the gut microbiota and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). However, to date, no systematic study has been conducted on the relationship between gut microbiota and the TIME using bibliometric methods. AIM To describe the current global research status on the correlation between gut microbiota and the TIME, and to identify the most influential countries, research institutions, researchers, and research hotspots related to this topic. METHODS We searched for all literature related to gut microbiota and TIME published from January 1, 2014, to May 28, 2024, in the Web of Science Core Collection database. We then conducted a bibliometric analysis and created visual maps of the published literature on countries, institutions, authors, keywords, references, etc., using CiteSpace (6.2R6), VOSviewer (1.6.20), and bibliometrics (based on R 4.3.2). RESULTS In total, 491 documents were included, with a rapid increase in the number of publications starting in 2019. The country with the highest number of publications was China, followed by the United States. Germany has the highest number of citations in literature. From a centrality perspective, the United States has the highest influence in this field. The institutions with the highest number of publications were Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University. However, the institution with the most citations was the United States National Cancer Institute. Among authors, Professor Giorgio Trinchieri from the National Institutes of Health has the most local impact in this field. The most cited author was Fan XZ. The results of journal publications showed that the top three journals with the highest number of published papers were Frontiers in Immunology, Cancers, and Frontiers in Oncology. The three most frequently used keywords were gut microbiota, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy. CONCLUSION This study systematically elaborates on the research progress related to gut microbiota and TIME over the past decade. Research results indicate that the number of publications has rapidly increased since 2019, with research hotspots including "gut microbiota", "tumor microenvironment" and "immunotherapy". Exploring the effects of specific gut microbiota or derived metabolites on the behavior of immune cells in the TIME, regulating the secretion of immune molecules, and influencing immunotherapy are research hotspots and future research directions.