Published online Nov 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7833
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.