Abstract:
Objective To explore the evolutionary trends, research hotspots, and cutting-edge areas of tryptophan metabolism in cancer research.
Methods Based on the Web of Science Core Collection, relevant English-language literatures published from January 2005 to July 2024 were retrieved, with a total of 1 927 articles included. Tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to conduct visual analyses of the number of publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and co-cited references.
Results The overall annual number of publications showed an upward trend, reaching a peak in 2021. America and China were the primary research forces, the representative institution was the Medical University of Innsbruck, and the highly productive author was Dietmar Fuchs. Keyword analysis indicated that research hotspots were concentrated on indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), dendritic cells, tumor immunity, and metabolic pathways. In recent years, a sustained increase was found in the popularity of areas such as gut microbiota, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy.
Conclusion Researches on tryptophan metabolism in cancer have gradually deepened, and future trends will focus on the cross-integration of multiple metabolic pathways and immune regulatory mechanisms, particularly in the exploration of tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy targets.