Current knowledge and future perspectives on exosomes in the field of regenerative medicine: a bibliometric analysis

Plain language summary Exosomes have been extensively studied in regenerative medicine. However, a bibliometric analysis of exosomes in this field is lacking. The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the research on exosomes in regenerative medicine from 2010 to 2021 and to identify important research through hot keywords, active authors, countries/regions, institutions, published journals, citations and cooperation. The authors retrieved 1383 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Through analysis with VOSviewer software, the authors found the research hotspots and trends of exosomes in the field of regenerative medicine, as well as the countries, authors and journals that have made major contributions. This novel comprehensive bibliometric analysis can help researchers quickly identify hotspots and research trends in this field. Objective: This study aimed to use bibliometric analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the research of exosomes in the field of regenerative medicine and to provide research hotspots and trends in this field. Materials & methods: Bibliometric analysis and data presentation were performed by VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel. Results: China was the major contributor to research in this field and enjoys a high reputation in academia. The highest contributing institution is Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Research hotspots included exosome-mediated neurovascular regeneration, exosome mechanism research, exosome-mediated cartilage regeneration and repair and exosome-mediated cardiac regeneration. Research was trending in the treatment of osteoarthritis, knee disease and cartilage regeneration and repair. Conclusion: This study provides a panoramic view of the application of exosomes in regenerative medicine.