Research trends in Caenorhabditis elegans and aging from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis.

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4496373/v1

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Research trends in Caenorhabditis elegans and aging from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis.

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4496373/v1

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Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have emerged as a prominent model organism for investigating aging, owing to its short life cycle, complete body transparency, protein editing capabilities, and advancements in aging-related pathways. Despite the significance of C. elegans in aging research, there is currently a lack of bibliometric analysis on this topic. To address this gap and gain deeper insights into C. elegans and aging, we retrieved 6204 records from the Web of Science database and employed scientometric tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer software to conduct an extensive analysis encompassing countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, co-cited literature, and keywords. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of research trends in the field of C. elegans and aging using bibliometric approaches while also identifying potential avenues for future investigations. Currently, key areas within C. elegans and aging research primarily revolve around dauer larvae、caloric restriction、stress resistance and alzheimers disease pathogenesis exploration. It is noteworthy that insulin, anti-aging, free radicals, neurodegeneration, and antioxidants have emerged as the most prominent and rapidly advancing frontiers in current research. We anticipate that this study will contribute to the advancement of scientific research in C. elegans and aging, while facilitating potential collaborations and fostering interdisciplinary partnerships for scientists and scholars.

Bioinformatics

Biostatistics

Cell Communication and Signaling

Caenorhabditis elegans

Bibliometrics Analysis

Aging

Citespace

VOSviewer

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a eukaryotic and transparent invertebrate commonly found in soil, exhibits a multi-organ structure. In its natural habitat, this species predominantly exists as hermaphrodites and males, with hermaphrodites being capable of self-fertilization to generate approximately 300 offspring, among which around 0.1% are male individuals. This unique reproductive strategy facilitates the production of genetically identical progeny within C. elegans population. Moreover, the fully sequenced genome of C. elegans has revealed that over 40% of its genes are implicated in human diseases. The genetic manipulation techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and RNA interference have been effectively employed by scientists for precise modification of C. elegans genes. Additionally, the availability of numerous low-cost mutant strains at the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC) further enhances research opportunities on aging-related fields using this model organism ^[1–3].

Aging and its associated economic and health problems have emerged as significant global concerns. Aging is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction^[4], metabolic improvement in aged animals, stress resistance levels, oxidative damage, and intracellular molecular metabolism waste production^[5]. Signaling pathways related to senescence in C. elegans primarily encompass the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway, Nrf-2/SKN-1 signaling pathway, heat shock protein signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, autophagy signaling pathway, etc^[6–9]. Utilizing C. elegans as an exceptional model organism facilitates the study of aging phenotypes and pharmacological mechanisms such as lifespan extension, enhanced activity capacity, improved stress resilience ability, and delayed onset of age-related diseases. Furthermore, it provides a solid theoretical foundation for future mammalian research endeavors and even clinical investigations.

Bibliometrics is a methodology employed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze publications, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the evolving topics, research directions, and future trajectories within a specific field. Presently, it has emerged as an indispensable auxiliary tool across diverse disciplines^[10]. To investigate the research status, identify hotspots, and discern trends in this study, visual analysis was conducted using software such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Pajek, Scimago Graphica along with other tools. The visual analysis of countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, co-cited literature, and keywords was conducted using software such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Pajek, Scimago Graphica along with other tools. Relevant visual maps were generated to analyze the research status, hotspots and trends of this study.

Despite the recent extensive utilization of such literature in various fields, a bibliometric study in C. elegans and aging-related research has not been conducted to date. In this study, we utilized the Web of Science (WOS) standard database to retrieve relevant articles by searching for TS= ("Caenorhabditis elegans" OR "C. elegans") AND TS= (aging OR longevity) within the WOS database. Descriptive statistics were employed to address this knowledge gap, including analysis of countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, co-cited literature, and keywords. This paper discusses and visualizes the research status, hotspots, and frontiers in C. elegans and aging-related literature using appropriate software tools while providing valuable references for future studies.

2.1 data sources

The Web of Science (WOS) database is a globally recognized, high-quality scientific research standard with a comprehensive data structure that is ideal for data analysis and research ^[11]. Therefore, this study utilized the WOS database to search the Web of Science core collection using the search formula TS=("Caenorhabditis elegans" OR "C. elegans") AND TS=(aging OR longevity), limited to January 1, 2003 to December 13, 2023, spanning a publication period of twenty years. Figure 1 illustrates the search formula and inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were restricted to papers and reviews written in English while excluding letters, newsletters, book reviews etc, resulting in obtaining a total of 6204 articles related to the topic. To avoid errors caused by daily updates on database data, all operations were completed within one day.

2.2 data analysis

Bibliometric methods were employed to conduct visual analysis of countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, co-cited literature, and keywords by using VOSviewer 1.6.18(Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands)、Citespace 6.2.R6 (Chaomei Chen, China)、Pajek 64 5.16(University of Ljubljana, Slovenia )、Scimago Graphica1.0.35 (https://www.graphica.app/, USA) and Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office 2021, Microsoft, Redmond, WA) to analyze the research status as well as identify research hotspots and trends. This study aims to comprehensively review and refine the existing literature in C. elegans and aging, utilizing bibliometric analysis of the WOS database. It intends to provide a comprehensive overview of international research findings on aging using C. elegans as a model organism, while also offering insights into current research status and emerging trends from a macroscopic perspective. The ultimate goal is to contribute valuable references for future studies in the field of C. elegans and aging.

3.1 Annual publication trend

The number of studies published within a specific time frame serves as an indicator of the research status and developmental trends in a particular field^[12]. Between January 1, 2003, and December 13, 2023, a total of 6204 articles were published in C. elegans and aging, with an average annual publication rate of 295.43. Figure 2 illustrates a wave-like trend in the number of published papers from 2003 to 2023. Notably, there were distinct peaks in publication occurring in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022, indicating heightened popularity and increased output during these years. The exponential function y = 132.79e0.0656x (R² = 0.9028, The variable x represents the number of years, while y represents the annual number of publications.) was concurrently established, exhibiting a commendable degree of fitting. Consequently, the utilization of C. elegans as an exemplary model organism for investigating aging has garnered escalating attention and emerged as a burgeoning avenue of research.

3.2 Distribution of countries/regions

The results of visual analysis conducted using VOSviewer and Scimago Graphica software are presented in Fig. 3A, illustrating the publishing regions of Caenorhabditis elegans and aging-related research. A total of 6204 articles were published from 82 countries. Figure 3A demonstrates that the United States exhibits a strong inclination towards international collaboration, particularly with China. Notably, the United States contributed the highest number of publications (2849 papers), accounting for 45.92% of the total output. Following closely behind are China (1042 papers) and Germany (680 papers), representing 16.80% and 10.96% respectively. The early initiation of research in C. elegans and aging in these three countries suggests a strong foundation for the obtained research findings.

The top 10 countries/regions with the highest number of publications in C. elegans and aging from January 1, 2003 to December 13, 2023 were analyzed using CiteSpace. Figure 3B illustrates that during this time period, China exhibited the most significant emergence intensity (91.5) in the field, specifically between the years 2021 and 2023. This indicates that from 2021 to 2023, this field has gained significant prominence in China and is expected to remain a prominent research trend in the future. Among the countries and regions, Hungary exhibited the lengthiest period of emergence, spanning from 2006 to 2012, signifying its prominence as a prominent research focus in C. elegans and aging studies during this timeframe.

3.3 Analysis of research institution relationship

According to the visual analysis conducted using VOSviewer software, a total of 3671 institutions were identified as publishers of these 6204 research articles, as depicted in Fig. 4. The data presented in Fig. 4 demonstrates that Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing exhibits a pronounced inclination towards collaborative partnerships with other institutions, as evidenced by its notably weight < Total link strength>. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the Chinese Academy of Sciences maintains a particularly close working relationship with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Harvard University emerged as the frontrunner, boasting an impressive tally of 158 research papers, securing the top spot in this ranking. Following closely behind were University College London and Chinese Academy of Sciences, with 156 and 139 scholarly articles respectively. The relationship between these institutions is generally characterized by a close association, thereby further exemplifying the widespread popularity and promising prospects of C. elegans and aging research.

3.4 Author/journal relationship analysis

The VOSviewer software was employed for visualizing the authors of the research papers, revealing a total of 21752 authors who have contributed articles in C. elegans and aging. As depicted in Fig. 5A, Gruber Jan collaborated most closely with Ng Li Fang; Dillin Andrew exhibited the highest publication count (61), followed by Tavernarakis Nektarios, who contributed 59 articles. Hansen Malene exhibited the highest level of willingness to engage in collaborative efforts with the other authors (The weight < Total link strength > values are detailed in the Supplementary materials Table S2.).

The author emergence graph depicts a significant increase in the number of articles published by Kenyon Cynthia during the period from 2007 to 2011, with their initial publications occurring in 2007 (Fig. 5B). For instance, Lee Seung-Jae v reported in Nature Communications (2017) that the regulation of RNA quality control has implications for the process of aging^[13]. Additionally, in 2020, it was discovered that VRK-1 operates synergistically with AMPK to regulate cellular energy homeostasis, consequently impacting C. elegans lifespan^[14]. These findings collectively suggest that Lee Seung-Jae v have made significant contributions to the field of C. elegans research on aging, thereby enhancing our understanding in this area.

The VOSviewer software was utilized to generate visual representations of the articles published in academic journals, with a total of 1091 journal articles being included for comprehensive analysis. The analysis presented in Fig. 5C and Table S3 revealed that Aging Cell had the highest number of publications (272), followed by Plos One with 201 articles. Notably, Aging Cell exhibited the strongest co-occurrence with Plos Genetics. We computed the similarity between articles based on the co-occurrence frequency of journals and conducted clustering analysis accordingly, where distinct clusters were visually distinguished by different colors. In the red cluster, Experimental Gerontology publication exhibited the highest frequency of articles (The number of publications ranked third); In the green cluster, Aging Cell demonstrated a greater number of published articles; PNAS displayed a higher volume of published articles within the blue cluster; Nature Communications presented a larger quantity of published articles in the yellow cluster (Relevant details can be found in Table S3). The journal Aging Cell is dedicated to providing mechanistic insights into biological phenomena associated with aging, and its authority in the field of aging has garnered significant recognition from research teams worldwide. In summary, Aging Cell, Plos One, and Experimental Gerontology are the predominant sources of publications in the field of C. elegans and aging, and will continue to hold this position for the foreseeable future.

Mechanisms Of Ageing and Development and Experimental Gerontology published a large number of articles in C. elegans and aging in the early years, while Nature Aging is a nascent subsidiary publication of Nature that was introduced in late 2020 (Fig. 5D). This indicates that research in C. elegans and aging have emerged as prominent areas of study in recent years, reflecting their significance as research hotspots and directions (Relevant details can be found in Table S4). In conclusion, C. elegans serves as an exemplary model organism for investigating the intricacies of aging, and it is anticipated that this field will continue to thrive in the foreseeable future.

3.5 Co-citation analysis of research field and articles

The literature categories obtained from the Web of Science core collection database were subjected to statistical analysis, and visual analysis was performed using VOSviewer software. A total of 6204 articles pertaining to C. elegans and aging were classified into five major fields (Relevant details can be found in Table S5). As depicted in Fig. 6A, research in C. elegans and aging primarily focuses on Cluster 1 (Biology and Medicine), Among them, the subdivisions of Cell biology, Biochemistry & molecular biology, and Geriatrics & gerontology constitute a relatively substantial proportion. Within this field, the C. elegans model serves as a primary tool for investigating cellular activities. Research focuses on elucidating aging pathways and exploring age-related diseases. Cluster 2 (Psychology and Social Sciences) encompasses the utilization of C. elegans' aging characteristics to investigate the aging behavior of this organism through studies on substance abuse and behavioral sciences, including alcohol, drug molecules, and other foreign substances. Furthermore, the discourse on Health policy & services and Agricultural economics encompasses topics such as agricultural heavy metals, probiotics, and agricultural pesticides. Cluster 3 (Chemistry and Physics): The lifespan of C. elegans were investigated using Materials science, Nanoscience and Chemistry. Cluster 4 (Ecology and Environmental S&T): Leveraging the aging characteristics of C. elegans, this study delves into the realm of Environmental sciences encompassing Oceanography, Limnology, Soil science, etc., while also engaging in pertinent discussions on Anthropology and Biodiversity conservation. Cluster 5 (Engineering & Mathematics): Artificial intelligence and computer science are employed to facilitate the development of a novel generation of automated mathematical models for nematode body tracking systems, as well as the fabrication of living soft micro-robots that emulate Caenorhabditis elegans, thereby advancing fundamental scientific research in biophysics and neuroscience ^[15–16].

The co-citations of literature in C. elegans and aging from January 1, 2003 to December 13, 2023 were analyzed using CiteSpace, as depicted in Fig. 6B. The article authored by Cynthia J. Kenyon, published in Nature (2010), boasts the highest number of citations, totaling 304. Subsequently, Cynthia J. Kenyon's publication in Cell (2005) garnered 213 citations. Cynthia J. Kenyon's study elucidated the impact of mutations in the C. elegans longevity pathway on age-related diseases and aging, unveiling the precise genetic repertoire and functions of these genes, thereby making a substantial contribution to the comprehensive global investigation of C. elegans and its aging process. Through the analysis, it is evident that the top ten cited literature sources exclusively originate from the prestigious journals of Nature, Cell, and Science. This observation underscores the pivotal role played by these three journals in advancing research in C. elegans and aging, thereby highlighting the significance and current focus of this field (Table S6).

3.6 Keyword frequency cluster analysis

The investigation of research hotspots and frontiers in a specific field can be facilitated through keyword analysis. CiteSpace was employed to analyze the co-occurrence of keywords in studies in C. elegans and aging from January 1, 2003, to December 13, 2023 (Fig. 7A). Apart from the search term Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the most frequently occurring keywords were oxidative stress with a frequency of 346 and stress resistance with a frequency of 190. According to the timeline analysis diagram of keyword frequency clustering (Fig. 7B), it is evident that keyword clustering is categorized into 13 distinct clusters, namely #0 Caenorhabditis elegans, #2 caloric restriction, #3 oxidative stress, #4 Alzheimer's disease, and #5 lifespan. The longitudinal presence of these five keywords from 2003 to 2023 highlights the research focus on investigating the relationship between C. elegans aging and caloric restriction or oxidative stress in this field. Furthermore, the investigation of neurodegenerative disorders utilizing the aging model of C. elegans, such as Alzheimer's disease, has emerged as a focus and highly pursued research direction in the scientific community. The popularity of caloric restriction, drosophila, dauer, etc., has exhibited a declining trend in recent years, as depicted in Fig. 7C. Conversely, the prevalence of insulin, anti-aging, oxidative stress, etc., has demonstrated an upward trajectory over time. The keyword emergence intensity of caloric restriction is the highest (14.03), as depicted in Fig. 7D. The longest-lasting keyword is free radicals, lasting 12 years (2003–2014). The emerging keywords neurodegeneration and antioxidant are poised to become the focal points of future research in C. elegans and aging.

Our study presents a concise overview of the advancements in C. elegans and aging research during the past two decades, encompassing trends in annual publications, countries and institutions contributing to this field, authors involved in these studies, published journals, field categorization, co-citation analysis, as well as keyword examination.

4.1 Links between countries/regions/institutions

The United States, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom are among the leading countries in research publications in C. elegans and aging due to their well-established research institutions such as Harvard University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, and University College London. These developed economies not only possess ample research funding but also demonstrate mature scientific infrastructure. Hungary has also held a significant position in this field, as it has sustained a fervent research focus on the study of C. elegans and aging from 2006 to 2012 (Fig. 3B). However, in recent years, both the publication output and research popularity have experienced a decline in Hungary. The research in C. elegans and aging in China, although initiated relatively late, has garnered significant attention from 2021 to 2023, with the number of publications ranking second globally, only after the United States (Fig. 3A-B). Based on the available data, this field is expected to remain a prominent research trend in China for an extended period. Furthermore, Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, and Spain have demonstrated remarkable advancements in this domain at a rapid pace^[17–20] (Table S7). Collectively, these regions represent the current research landscape in C. elegans and aging in North America, Europe, and Asia. However, Fig. 3A illustrates the limited exchange of regional centers between Europe and Asia. Conversely, robust collaboration is observed between research institutions in North America and Europe; North America and Asia, which can be attributed to distinct regional priorities such as: 1. Due to the early initiation of relevant studies in North America, research on the senescence trajectory of C. elegans is comparatively comprehensive, encompassing investigations into environmental influences, plant extracts, and genome/proteome interactions^[21–22]; 2. The European region focuses on investigating the impact of both the environment and artificial intelligence machines^[23–25]; 3. Due to the abundance of traditional medicinal plants in Asia, research institutions in this region primarily focus on identifying bioactive compounds present in traditional medicinal plants that possess anti-aging properties^[26–28]. Revised sentence: However, facilitated by the increasing cross-border communication and collaboration among countries, regions, and institutions, the establishment of these three regional research centers has transcended geographical and linguistic barriers, leading to a flourishing global research landscape in the field of C. elegans.

4.2 Current Hotspots of C. elegans and aging

4.2.1 Dauer Larvae

To adapt to adverse environmental conditions, C. elegans undergoes a developmental arrest and stress-resistant stage known as the “dauer” stage during larval development, which serves as the primary survival strategy in its natural habitat ^[29–30]. In addition to natural selection, studies have demonstrated that the induction of dauer stage in worms by humans primarily arises from exogenous supplementation of dauer pheromones and starvation stimuli ^[29]. After the C. elegans enters the dauer stage, more muscular arms are produced, and a subassembly of amphibian neurons and glial cells is remodeled ^[31–32]. The indispensability of KPC-1 for the proper organization of dendrite arbor in C. elegans has been demonstrated by study of Schroeder NE ^[33]. According to the study conducted by Schroeder NE et al., KPC-1 mutants exhibiting deficiencies in dauer stage-specific IL2 remodeling can rescue nictation defects; however, further investigation is required to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of IL2 on nictation defects. Although pharyngeal pumping, which facilitates bacterial ingestion, is suppressed during the dauer stage, it has been demonstrated that dauer pharyngeal pumping remains feasible ^[34]. An alternative line of investigation suggests that the transition through the dauer stage results in an extended lifespan upon reaching adulthood later in life ^[35]. This implies that alterations in gene expression, as well as exposure to diverse environments or developmental experiences, have also been demonstrated in the C. elegans model to elicit phenotypic variation within genetically identical populations and this could confer an evolutionary advantage upon the species.

4.2.2 Stress Resistance

The extension of lifespan in C. elegans is typically accompanied by an enhanced resilience to adverse environmental stressors ^[36]. By establishing models of oxidative stress, heat stress, and other forms of stress in C. elegans, it is possible to screen complex drugs or monomeric compounds that can enhance the organism's ability to withstand stress. For instance, by simulating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) under diverse stress conditions, it was observed that compound Bushenfang (CBR) significantly enhances the worm's ability to withstand stress from both internal and external environments, thereby extending its lifespan ^[37]. With advancing age, the majority of age-related diseases are associated with the accumulation of oxidative biomolecules and cellular damage ^[38]. This phenomenon arises from an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggered by heightened temperature and oxidative stress, resulting in detrimental effects on the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. Consequently, this accelerates the process of cellular aging ^[39]. The C. elegans model offers a more convenient approach for assessing markers associated with oxidative stress, such as quantifying in vivo levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), or fluorescence intensity expression ^[36]. Fluorescent protein labeling technology enables researchers to directly observe the fluorescence intensity of relevant proteins under fluorescence microscopy, and CGC offering a wide range of nematode mutant strains. For instance, mutant SJ4058 [hsp-60::GFP + lin-15(+)] and CF1553 [(pAD76) sod-3p::GFP + rol-6(su1006)] provide valuable tools for investigating protein dynamics in vivo^[40–41]. The Stress Resistance model of C. elegans can also be applied in the realm of environmental protection research, encompassing investigations on excessive heavy metal contamination, plastic pollution, soil and water pollution, among other fields ^[42–44].

4.2.3 Caloric Restriction

Caloric restriction (CR) or dietary restriction (DR) is a conserved method of reducing food intake without inducing malnutrition, and this mechanism has been demonstrated in various animal models, including mice, fruit flies, and C. elegans ^[45]. The efficacy of trace elements, such as riboflavin, methionine, and L-threonine, in extending the lifespan of C. elegans through modulation of the caloric restriction pathway has been experimentally confirmed ^[46]. Additionally, the lifespan and mobility of both mice and worms were enhanced through caloric restriction by a combination of flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin K2, and other trace elements ^[47]. The impact of dietary restriction is modulated by the signaling pathways of rapamycin and insulin, while it has also been demonstrated that the immune signaling component ZIP-2 in C. elegans mediates age-related effects induced by calorie restriction ^[48–49]. Therefore, the exploration of additional pathways modulated by caloric restriction and their ultimate contribution to C. elegans longevity extension will remain a prominent area of investigation in the long term.

4.2.4 Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a type of neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins that form neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are the main pathological changes observed in affected individuals ^[50]. Despite the simplicity of C. elegans' nervous system, they exhibit diverse responses to external stimuli, including defecation, wiggling, escape behavior, learning and memory formation. Moreover, age-related neuronal decline in C. elegans is evolutionarily conserved ^[51–52]. In recent years, C. elegans have emerged as a high-throughput medicine screening platform for identifying potential therapeutics medicine that can effectively delay the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease ^[53]. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that nematodes exhibit certain limitations in the realm of neurodegenerative disease research due to their absence of a circulatory system and blood-brain barrier.

4.3 Strengths and Limitations of C. elegans

With the advancement of related research and the distinctive characteristics of C. elegans, including its ease of cultivation, small size, rapid generation time, transparent body, complete genome sequence, and high homology with human genes, C. elegans has emerged as a pivotal model organism for investigating anti-aging mechanisms ^[36]. Furthermore, the practicality and advantages of C. elegans' biological features have increasingly been recognized in assessing the toxicity of environmental pollutants ^[54]. Due to its bidirectional inheritance and rapid transmission rate, it has emerged as a valuable model for investigating the interplay between certain RNA viruses and their host organisms, as well as female reproductive health ^[55–56]. Additionally, the model's cost-effectiveness and time efficiency are enhanced by its ease of lab culture and manipulation as well as its short life cycle. On the other hand, C. elegans presents no bioethical constraints, enabling the scientific community to implement rapid experimental protocols and interventions that are not feasible with other animal models ^[57]. Furthermore, numerous practical experimental methods have been devised for in vivo studies on aging physiology and drug screening for anti-aging effects using C. elegans ^[58]. Revised sentence: Furthermore, there is a growing trend in the development and utilization of automation equipment for C. elegans, which offers enhanced support for high-throughput medicine screening and intelligent experimental research^[59–60]. However, despite the high genetic homology between C. elegans and humans, being a low multicellular invertebrate, there are notable evolutionary, biochemical, and physiological differences from mammals such as mice and macaque monkeys. For instance, C. elegans possess a rudimentary nervous system without myelin sheath and lack several anatomical features found in mammals including various organs and systems. Therefore, it is essential to validate these findings in mammalian models. In conclusion, C. elegans continue to serve as a valuable model organism for investigating the mechanisms underlying aging, offering preliminary and large-scale research results that can inform further studies in this field.

Although bibliometric analysis provides more comprehensive insights compared to traditional assessment methods and can effectively uncover research topics and trends, it does have certain limitations. Firstly, the data sources utilized in this study solely consist of articles from the WOS database, thereby excluding research reports published in non-SCI journals or non-English literature from our analysis. Secondly, software tools such as Citespace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphica, etc., rely on machine algorithms to analyze studies based on citations rather than determining their specific quality. Consequently, this approach may not adequately capture the latest advancements in a nascent field of research like Caenorhabditis elegans aging-related studies. However, these limitations are unlikely to significantly alter the primary trends identified within this study.

Through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, this study investigated research in the field of C. elegans and aging, assessing literature data across different years, countries, institutions, authors, and journals. Furthermore, we conducted an examination of keywords and identified potential areas for future research. Currently, the field of C. elegans and aging primarily focuses on dauer larvae, caloric restriction, stress resistance, and Alzheimer's disease. It is noteworthy that insulin, anti-aging, free radicals, neurodegeneration, and antioxidants have emerged as prominent areas of research in the current stage.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Science and Technology Foundation of Deyang (2023SZZ111 and 2023SZZ116).

Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Research trends in Caenorhabditis elegans and aging from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis.

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Abstract

Figures

1. Introduction

2. Materials and methods

2.1 data sources

2.2 data analysis

3. Results

3.1 Annual publication trend

3.2 Distribution of countries/regions

3.3 Analysis of research institution relationship

3.4 Author/journal relationship analysis

3.5 Co-citation analysis of research field and articles

4. Discussion

4.1 Links between countries/regions/institutions

4.2 Current Hotspots of C. elegans and aging

4.2.1 Dauer Larvae

4.2.2 Stress Resistance

4.2.3 Caloric Restriction

4.2.4 Alzheimers Disease

4.3 Strengths and Limitations of C. elegans

5. Limitations

6. Conclusions

Declarations

Declaration of competing interest

Funding

Data availability

References

Additional Declarations

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