.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
Bibliometric analysis of targeted protein degradation in tumor immunotherapy from 2000 to 2025
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
S
B
Y
M
DOI：10.1007/s12672-026-05676-9.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
This study employed bibliometric methods to systematically analyze the current hotspots and future trends in targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology research for tumor immunotherapy since the 21st century. Based on the Web of Science (WoS) database, a bibliometric analysis of literature in the field of tumor TPD research from 2000 to 2025 was conducted. Data were collected, analyzed, and visualized using tools such as HisCite, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package “bibliometrix”. A total of 914 publications were analyzed, covering publication year, country, institution, author, journal, category, keywords, and research fronts. The analysis revealed an overall upward trend in annual publications from 2000 to 2025, with China being the most productive country and Zhejiang University the highest-yield institution. Frontiers in Immunology was the journal with the highest publication frequency, while Nature Communications was the most cited journal. Jing Liu, Kwangmeyung Kim, and Honggang Hu were the top contributors (8 papers each); notably, Wenyi Wei held the highest citation count (1,079), and Kwangmeyung Kim boasted the top H-index (93). Keyword analysis revealed five key themes: cancer basic biology and mechanisms, targeted protein degradation technology, clinical application and challenges of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and tumor microenvironment (TME) and inflammation. Current research emphasizes selectively eliminating key immune regulatory proteins through degradation strategies such as the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and endosomal/autophagy-lysosome pathways to overcome drug resistance, reverse immunosuppressive microenvironments, and expand “undruggable” targets, ultimately enhancing anti-tumor immune responses. Research on TPD technology in tumor immunotherapy is growing rapidly, with China holding a global leading position in output. Future priorities may focus on developing novel E3 ligase ligands, integrating nanotechnology with conditional activation strategies for tumor microenvironment-specific delivery, and exploring rational combinations of TPD with established immunotherapies (e.g., ICIs, CAR-T), to advance precision cancer immunotherapy development.
Keywords:
Targeted protein degradation
Tumor
Immunotherapy
Bibliometric analysis
Journal
IF:
2.9
Papers:
3.5K
Citations:
1.6K
Organization
Cited Papers