Analysis of bioprinting strategies for skin diseases and injuries through structural and temporal dynamics: historical perspectives, research hotspots, and emerging trends

Abstract

Objective:
This study endeavors to investigate the progression, research focal points, and budding trends in the realm of skin bioprinting over the past decade from a structural and temporal dynamics standpoint.
Methods:
Scholarly articles on skin bioprinting were obtained from WoSCC. A series of bibliometric tools comprising R software, CiteSpace, HistCite, and an alluvial generator were employed to discern historical characteristics, evolution of active topics, and upcoming tendencies in the area of skin bioprinting.
Findings:
Over the past decade, there has been a consistent rise in research interest in skin bioprinting, accompanied by an extensive array of meaningful scientific collaborations. Concurrently, diverse dynamic topics have emerged during various periods, as substantiated by an aggregate of 22 disciplines, 74 keywords, and 187 references demonstrating citation bursts. Four burgeoning research subfields were discerned through keyword clustering - namely, #3 "in situ bioprinting", #6 "vascular", #7 "xanthan gum", and #8 "collagen hydrogels". The keyword alluvial map reveals that Module 1, including "transplantation" etc., has primarily dominated the research module over the previous decade, maintaining enduring relevance despite annual shifts in keyword focus. Additionally, we mapped out the top six key modules from 2023 being "silk fibroin nanofiber", "system", "ionic liquid", "mechanism", and "foot ulcer". Three recent research subdivisions were identified via timeline visualization of references, particularly Clusters #0 "wound healing", #4 "situ mineralization", and #5 "3D bioprinter".
Conclusion:
Insights derived from bibliometric analyses illustrate present conditions and trends in skin bioprinting research, potentially aiding researchers in pinpointing central themes and pioneering novel investigative approaches in this field.