Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation

BackgroundSorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, is a key therapeutic agent in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, its clinical efficacy is frequently hampered b...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Qiong Zhou, Rui Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1581820/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849469435207745536
author Qiong Zhou
Rui Wang
author_facet Qiong Zhou
Rui Wang
author_sort Qiong Zhou
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundSorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, is a key therapeutic agent in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, its clinical efficacy is frequently hampered by the rising prevalence of sorafenib resistance, particularly in HCC. This reality underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive pan-cancer investigation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of resistance.MethodsWe employed a systematic bibliometric approach utilizing the Web of Science Core Collection to conduct a structured literature search. Performance analysis and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. A triphasic screening protocol was implemented to identify publications focused on sorafenib resistance, covering a period from 2006 to 2025.ResultsOur analysis identified 1,484 eligible publications, with a peak of 194 articles published in 2022. The majority of research (79.48%) centered on HCC, with significant contributions from institutions in China and the United States. Co-authorship and keyword network analyses revealed a robust interdisciplinary collaboration landscape. Key themes emerged, including dysregulation of drug transporters and clearance mechanisms, metabolic reprogramming, programmed cell death, interactions within the tumor microenvironment, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, highlighting critical areas contributing to resistance.ConclusionThis study highlights the current research landscape concerning sorafenib resistance, facilitating the identification of emerging trends and research gaps. Future research priorities should include biomarker-driven clinical trials, the development of nanoparticle delivery systems, and the clinical translation of combination therapy strategies. Additionally, the integration of deep learning algorithms in the context of big data has the potential to enhance our understanding of resistance mechanisms in silico, ultimately aiming to overcome resistance challenges and improve patient survival outcomes.
format Article
id doaj-art-0ea8709ea3424d5d933d73ca7fc78971
institution Kabale University
issn 1663-9812
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Pharmacology
spelling doaj-art-0ea8709ea3424d5d933d73ca7fc789712025-08-20T03:25:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-07-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15818201581820Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigationQiong ZhouRui WangBackgroundSorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, is a key therapeutic agent in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, its clinical efficacy is frequently hampered by the rising prevalence of sorafenib resistance, particularly in HCC. This reality underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive pan-cancer investigation to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of resistance.MethodsWe employed a systematic bibliometric approach utilizing the Web of Science Core Collection to conduct a structured literature search. Performance analysis and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. A triphasic screening protocol was implemented to identify publications focused on sorafenib resistance, covering a period from 2006 to 2025.ResultsOur analysis identified 1,484 eligible publications, with a peak of 194 articles published in 2022. The majority of research (79.48%) centered on HCC, with significant contributions from institutions in China and the United States. Co-authorship and keyword network analyses revealed a robust interdisciplinary collaboration landscape. Key themes emerged, including dysregulation of drug transporters and clearance mechanisms, metabolic reprogramming, programmed cell death, interactions within the tumor microenvironment, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, highlighting critical areas contributing to resistance.ConclusionThis study highlights the current research landscape concerning sorafenib resistance, facilitating the identification of emerging trends and research gaps. Future research priorities should include biomarker-driven clinical trials, the development of nanoparticle delivery systems, and the clinical translation of combination therapy strategies. Additionally, the integration of deep learning algorithms in the context of big data has the potential to enhance our understanding of resistance mechanisms in silico, ultimately aiming to overcome resistance challenges and improve patient survival outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1581820/fullsorafenib resistancebibliometricspan-cancerknowledge networktargeted therapy
spellingShingle Qiong Zhou
Rui Wang
Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
Frontiers in Pharmacology
sorafenib resistance
bibliometrics
pan-cancer
knowledge network
targeted therapy
title Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
title_full Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
title_fullStr Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
title_full_unstemmed Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
title_short Emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan-cancer sorafenib resistance: a 20-year bibliometric investigation
title_sort emerging trends and knowledge networks in pan cancer sorafenib resistance a 20 year bibliometric investigation
topic sorafenib resistance
bibliometrics
pan-cancer
knowledge network
targeted therapy
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1581820/full
work_keys_str_mv AT qiongzhou emergingtrendsandknowledgenetworksinpancancersorafenibresistancea20yearbibliometricinvestigation
AT ruiwang emergingtrendsandknowledgenetworksinpancancersorafenibresistancea20yearbibliometricinvestigation