The research trends and hotspots of NLRP3 inflammasome in Alzheimer's disease: a bibliometric and visualization analysis

BackgroundAlzheimers disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, the NLRP3 inflammasome has been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD, and with increasing attention to its involvement in AD. Therefore, we applied bibliometric methods to describe the current research status of the NLRP3 inflammasome in AD. This study aims to analyze the research trends and hotspots in this field from 2013 to 2024, providing valuable insights for AD research. MethodsWe have selected research on the NLRP3 inflammasome in Alzheimers disease from the Web of Science Core Collection, with the time range from January 1, 2013, to November 30, 2024, and exported all publications in plain text format. Visualization analysis was performed using CiteSpace 6.4.R1, VOSviewer 1.6.20, and Scimago Graphica 1.0.46. ResultsA total of 759 publications related to the NLRP3 inflammasome in Alzheimers disease were included in this study. The number of annual publications showed a general upward trend. The top three countries in terms of publication volume were China, the United States, and Italy. The University of Manchester was the institution with the highest number of publications. The author with the most publications was Michael Heneka, while the most cited author was Eicke Latz. The International Journal of Molecular Sciences published the highest number of articles and was also the most frequently cited journal. The most common keywords included Alzheimers disease, NLRP3 inflammasome, neuroinflammation, A{beta}, and microglia. ConclusionThe primary research hotspots in this field focus on the role of NLRP3 in AD pathology, its potential as a therapeutic target, and strategies to modulate neuroinflammation through targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome. Future research should further investigate the interactions between NLRP3 and other molecular pathways, assess its clinical therapeutic potential, and provide new insights and strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of AD.