Scientometrics
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Nov 16, 2023; 11(32): 7833-7851
Published online Nov 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7833
Emerging trends and hotspots of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in nervous system diseases
Xue-Qin Chang, Ling Xu, Yi-Xuan Zuo, Yi-Guo Liu, Jia Li, Hai-Tao Chi
Xue-Qin Chang, Ling Xu, Yi-Xuan Zuo, Yi-Guo Liu, Jia Li, Hai-Tao Chi, Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated with Dalian University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: Chang XQ designed and performed the research; Zuo YX, Liu YG, and Li J conducted the statistical analysis.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 checklist and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hai-Tao Chi, Doctor, Chief Doctor, Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated with Dalian University, No. 156 Wansui Street, Shahekou District, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China. 723290269@qq.com
Received: August 24, 2023
Peer-review started: August 24, 2023
First decision: September 28, 2023
Revised: October 4, 2023
Accepted: October 30, 2023
Article in press: October 30, 2023
Published online: November 16, 2023
Processing time: 83 Days and 9.1 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

As a key transcription factor in the antioxidant network, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) plays an important role in nervous system diseases that are susceptible to oxidative damage. In recent years, research on a variety of new cell death modes in nervous system diseases has been very popular. A large number of studies have explored the regulatory role of NRF2 in these cell death modes and its clinical application in nervous system diseases.

Research motivation

Although a large number of studies have explored the potential value of NRF2 in neurological diseases, there is still a lack of large-scale bibliometric analyses to summarize its research hotspots and future research trends.

Research objectives

Based on the bibliometric analysis, this paper summarizes the research hotspots and future research trends of NRF2 in nervous system diseases, in order to provide enlightenment for subsequent researchers.

Research methods

We searched and screened the literature related to NRF2 and nervous system diseases in the past decade, and then analyzed the literature using the bibliometric tool Cite-Space, read the literature, and summarized the research progress, hotspots, and research trends in this field.

Research results

China ranks first in both the number of articles published and the amount of funds invested. In addition, the author with the largest number of publications is also from China, which shows that China's influence in this field cannot be ignored. In recent years, research on the application of traditional Chinese medicine in neurological diseases by acting on NRF2 targets has become more and more popular. In addition, NRF2 not only regulates inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and oxidative stress of nerve cells, but also plays a crucial regulatory role in the ferroptosis of nerve cells.

Research conclusions

The role of NRF2 in nervous system diseases is mainly focused on its anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis action. Although China has published the greatest number of papers, its centrality is low and its influence is small compared with the United States and other countries. The cooperation between China and other countries is also less, indicating that cooperation can identify breakthroughs. In recent years, research on the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine on nervous system diseases by acting on the NRF2 pathway has become more and more popular. However, although some progress has been made in related clinical trials, clinical research on the NRF2 pathway in nervous system diseases is still lacking. Researchers should perform more clinical studies to explore the clinical significance of NRF2-related drugs.

Research perspectives

More attention should be paid to the role of NRF2 in regulating ferroptosis. Most importantly, researchers should pay more attention to the clinical efficacy of NRF2 agonists in neurological diseases. More high-quality randomized controlled trials should be conducted to promote the clinical application of NRF2 agonists.