Abstract:

Objective To analyze the current status, research hotspots and development trends in the field of immune responses in the microenvironment after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods Literatrues about immune responses in the microenvironment after SCI were searched from CNKI and the Web of Science Core Collection, from inception to March, 2024. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to conduct a visual analysis of authors, countries, institutions, journals, co-cited references and keywords.

Results A total of 152 Chinese and 455 English studies were included. The number of publications increased annually, and China and the United States were leading research efforts in this field. In the Chinese literature, Zhu Yue was the most prolific author, and China Medical University was the leading institution. In the English literature, Phillip Popovich was the most prolific and highly cited author, and Ohio State University was the leading institution. Journal of Neuroscience and Experimental Neurology were identified as key journals. The research hotspots in both languages focused on immune activation, inflammatory response and functional recovery. Researches on stem cell transplantation, macrophage and traditional Chinese medicine were particularly prominent in the regulation of immune responses after SCI.

Conclusion Immune responses in the microenvironment have emerged as a central focus in SCI research. The emphasis of current researches is shifting from mechanistic exploration to the investigation of immunomodulatory strategies, with several cutting-edge technologies showing significant potential in this regard. Moving forward, increasing collaboration across regions and institutions are essential to promote information sharing, accelerate scientific progress, and facilitate clinical translation, ultimately enhance patient rehabilitation outcomes.

Key words: spinal cord injury, microenvironment, immune response, bibliometrics