Knowledge mapping of exosomes in prostate cancer from 2003 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is highly prevalent among males worldwide. The investigation of exosomes in PCa has emerged as a dynamic and important research area. To visually depict the prominent research areas and evolutionary patterns of exosomes in PCa, we performed a comprehensive analysis via bibliometric methods. Methods: Studies were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewers, and the R package “bibliometrix” were employed to analyze the relationships and collaborations among countries/regions, organizations, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Results: Over the past 20 years (2003–2022), 995 literatures on exosomes in PCa have been collected. The findings indicate a consistent upward trend in annual publications with the United States being the leading contributor. Cancers is widely recognized as the most prominent journal in this area. In total, 5936 authors have contributed to these publications, with Alicia Llorente being the most prolific. The primary keywords associated with research hotspots include “liquid biopsy”, “identification”, “growth”, “microRNAs”, and “tumor-derived exosomes”. Conclusion: Our analysis reveals that investigating the intrinsic mechanisms of exosomes in PCa pathogenesis and exploring the potential of exosomes as biomarkers of PCa constitute the principal focal points in this domain of research.Highlights: This study is a comprehensive bibliometric analysis in the field of exosomes in PCa. Function and therapeutical potential serve as the foundation for this subject. Liquid biopsy and biomarkers would be the focus and emerging hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]