The status and trends of mitochondrial dynamics research: A global bibliometric and visualized analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Mitochondria are remarkably dynamic organelles encapsulated by bilayer membranes. The dynamic properties of mitochondria are critical for energy production. Aims The aim of our study is to investigate the global status and trends of mitochondrial dynamics research and predict popular topics and directions in the field. Methods Publications related to the studies of mitochondrial dynamics from 2002 to 2021 were retrieved from Web of Science database. A total of 4,576 publications were included. Bibliometric analysis was conducted by visualization of similarities viewer and GraphPadPrism 5 software. Results There is an increasing trend of mitochondrial dynamics research during the last 20 years. The cumulative number of publications about mitochondrial dynamics research followed the logistic growth model $$\mathrm{f}(x)=\mathrm{a}/\left[1+{e}^{(b-cx)}\right]$$ f ( x ) = a / 1 + e ( b - c x ) . The USA made the highest contributions to the global research. The journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)—Molecular Cell Research had the largest publication numbers. Case Western Reserve University is the most contributive institution. The main research orientation and funding agency were cell biology and HHS. All keywords related studies could be divided into three clusters: “Related disease research”, “Mechanism research” and “Cell metabolism research”. Conclusions Attention should be drawn to the latest popular research and more efforts will be put into mechanistic research, which may inspire new clinical treatments for the associated diseases.