ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mol. Neurosci.
Sec. Pain Mechanisms and Modulators
Volume 18 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2025.1610844
Research Hotspots and Emerging Trends in MicroRNA Therapy for Neuropathic Pain: A Bibliometric Analysis (2009-2024)
Provisionally accepted
- 1Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- 2Qingdao Huangdao District Central Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- 3Chinese Medicine Hospital of Qingdao City, Qingdao, China
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Abstract：Objective: This study systematically investigates the evolving trends, research hotspots, and future directions in microRNA-based therapy for neuropathic pain (NP) through bibliometric analysis.Methods: We extracted literature related to microRNA interventions in NP from the Web of Science Core Collection database, spanning January 2009 to December 2024. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on publication trends, authorship patterns, institutional collaborations, national contributions, journal preferences, co-citation networks, and keyword clusters.Results: The final analysis included 250 articles, showing a steady increase in publications over the past fifteen years. China was the most productive country, while the United States demonstrated the highest scientific influence. The top three institutions by publication count were Xuzhou Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College. Pain was identified as the most co-cited journal. Keyword analysis revealed "differential expression" with the strongest citation burst intensity, while "peripheral nerve injury," "mechanical allodynia," and "proliferation" emerged as recent high-frequency terms.Conclusion: In the field of microRNA therapy for neuropathic pain, investigations into peripheral nerve injury mechanisms, neuroinflammation regulation, and miRNA differential expression patterns have been identified as current research hotspots. Emerging frontiers are now shifting toward three strategic directions: 1) development of targeted delivery systems, 2) precision modulation of nociceptive circuits, and 3) individualized therapeutic strategies. Collectively, miRNAs demonstrate significant potential as innovative NP treatments. While clinical translation of miRNA-based therapies remains a critical research priority, key challenges persist in optimizing target specificity (particularly sequence homology discrimination among miRNA isoforms) and ensuring biocompatibility of delivery platforms.
Keywords: microRNA, neuropathic pain, therapy, Bibliometrics, Visualization analysis
Received: 13 Apr 2025; Accepted: 13 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Chen, Chi, Gao, Li, Wang and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Huaizhao Wang, Qingdao Huangdao District Central Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
Yuanyuan Yu, Chinese Medicine Hospital of Qingdao City, Qingdao, China
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