Nanomaterials in Rheumatoid Arthritis Over Two Decades: A Bibliometric Study of Inflammatory Pathways and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies
DOI:
10.29303/jppipa.v12i5.14645Published:
2026-05-25Downloads
Abstract
The rapid expansion of nanomaterial-based rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research has produced a fragmented body of literature, limiting clear recognition of major journals, influential contributors, collaboration patterns, and shifting research priorities. This study presents a two-decade bibliometric mapping of nanomaterials in RA with an inflammation-focused perspective. English-language publications from 2005 to 2025 were collected from Scopus using a nanomaterial–RA–inflammation search strategy, yielding 5,110 initial records. Data were refined in OpenRefine through deduplication, author-name harmonization, and keyword normalization. Following eligibility screening, 720 articles were retained for core bibliometric analysis. Biblioshiny, supported by the Bibliometrix R package, was used to measure annual publication trends, productive sources, leading authors, institutional output, and collaborative networks. Conceptual development was assessed through keyword co-occurrence analysis and thematic mapping, with network visualizations generated in VOSviewer. Results indicate accelerated publication growth in the recent period, with outputs concentrated in drug delivery and biomaterials-related journals. Scientific productivity was driven by a limited group of countries and institutions, reflecting hub-based knowledge production. Keyword and thematic analyses identified targeted drug delivery and macrophage polarization as motor themes, while PI3K–AKT and Hedgehog signaling emerged as developing topics. Overall, the field shows rapid growth and organized thematic evolution.
Keywords:
Bibliometric analysis Inflammatory pathways Nanomaterials Rheumatoid arthritisReferences
Abulimiti, M., Dai, S., Mitsuhiro, E., Sugawara, Y., Li, Y., Sakurai, H., & Matsumoto, Y. (2025). Current Research Trends and Hotspots in Radiotherapy Combined with Nanomaterials for Cancer Treatment: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis. Nanomaterials, 15(15), 1205. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15151205
Adeosun, S. O., Smith, N. C., Abiti, N. A., Borst, S. A., Walters, J. K., & Burghardt, K. J. (2026). Development and characterization of a theory- and data-driven core journals list in pharmacy practice. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 22(1), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2025.08.011
AlSawaftah, N. M., Awad, N. S., Pitt, W. G., & Husseini, G. A. (2022). pH-Responsive Nanocarriers in Cancer Therapy. Polymers, 14(5), 936. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14050936
Alsulaiman, J. W., Alzoubi, A., Alrawashdeh, A., Al-Dekah, A. M., Abubaker, S., Amayreh, W., Sweileh, W. M., Alzoubi, H. M., & Kheirallah, K. A. (2025). Mapping trends and hotspots of research on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 18(1), 102597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2024.102597
Batool, F., Özçelik, H., Stutz, C., Gegout, P.-Y., Benkirane-Jessel, N., Petit, C., & Huck, O. (2021). Modulation of immune-inflammatory responses through surface modifications of biomaterials to promote bone healing and regeneration. Journal of Tissue Engineering, 12, 12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20417314211041428
Cano, C. A. G., & Sánchez Castillo, V. (2024). Scholarly Output on Computer Networks and Communication: A Ten-Year Bibliometric Analysis in Scopus (2013-2022). Gamification and Augmented Reality, 2, 29. https://doi.org/10.56294/gr202429
Chen, S., Li, Y., Liu, J., Wu, J., Zhao, H., Cao, R., & Zhou, S. (2025). Gut Microbial Metabolite Crosstalk in Crohn’s Disease: Network Pharmacology Unveils Dual‐Axis Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Targets. BioFactors, 51(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.70038
Ejaz, H., Zeeshan, H. M., Ahmad, F., Bukhari, S. N. A., Anwar, N., Alanazi, A., Sadiq, A., Junaid, K., Atif, M., Abosalif, K. O. A., Iqbal, A., Hamza, M. A., & Younas, S. (2022). Bibliometric Analysis of Publications on the Omicron Variant from 2020 to 2022 in the Scopus Database Using R and VOSviewer. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12407. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912407
Emami, J., & Ansarypour, Z. (2019). Receptor targeting drug delivery strategies and prospects in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 14(6), 471. https://doi.org/10.4103/1735-5362.272534
Fatima, T., Zhang, Y., Vasileiadis, G. K., Rawshani, A., van Vollenhoven, R., Lampa, J., Gudbjornsson, B., Haavardsholm, E. A., Nordström, D., Gröndal, G., Hørslev-Petersen, K., Lend, K., Heiberg, M. S., Hetland, M. L., Nurmohamed, M., Østergaard, M., Uhlig, T., Sokka-Isler, T., Rudin, A., & Maglio, C. (2025). Disease activity and treatment response in early rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory metabolomic profiling in the NORD-STAR cohort. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 27(1), 156. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-025-03616-6
Galindo, A. N., Frey Rubio, D. A., & Hettiaratchi, M. H. (2024). Biomaterial strategies for regulating the neuroinflammatory response. Materials Advances, 5(10), 4025–4054. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3MA00736G
Jahid, M., Khan, K. U., Rehan-Ul-Haq, & Ahmed, R. S. (2023). Overview of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Scientific Understanding of the Disease. Mediterranean Journal of Rheumatology, 34(3), 284. https://doi.org/10.31138/mjr.20230801.oo
Jia, X., He, L., Chang, Y., Li, J., Wang, J., Zhang, X., & Guo, J. (2025). Research Trends and Developments in Nanomaterials for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, Volume 19, 4355–4371. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S514898
Kalashnikova, I., Chung, S.-J., Nafiujjaman, M., Hill, M. L., Siziba, M. E., Contag, C. H., & Kim, T. (2020). Ceria-based nanotheranostic agent for rheumatoid arthritis. Theranostics, 10(26), 11863–11880. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.49069
Komatsu, N., & Takayanagi, H. (2022). Mechanisms of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis — immune cell–fibroblast–bone interactions. Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 18(7), 415–429. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-022-00793-5
Kondo, N., Kuroda, T., & Kobayashi, D. (2021). Cytokine Networks in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(20), 10922. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222010922
Kuytu, T. (2025). Brain tumors. A bibliometric analysis of forty years by science mapping. The European Research Journal, 11(3), 639–653. https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1630953
Laha, A., Nasra, S., Bhatia, D., & Kumar, A. (2024). Advancements in rheumatoid arthritis therapy: a journey from conventional therapy to precision medicine via nanoparticles targeting immune cells. Nanoscale, 16(32), 14975–14993. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4NR02182G
Li, H., Gou, R., Liao, J., Wang, Y., Qu, R., Tang, Q., Gan, J., Zou, L., & Shi, S. (2023). Recent advances in nano-targeting drug delivery systems for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Acta Materia Medica, 2(1), 23–41. https://doi.org/10.15212/AMM-2022-0039
Logesh, K., Raj, B., Bhaskaran, M., Thirumaleshwar, S., Gangadharappa, H., Osmani, R. A., & Asha Spandana, K. M. (2023). Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 81, 104241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2023.104241
Lozano, S., Calzada-Infante, L., Adenso-Díaz, B., & García, S. (2019). Complex network analysis of keywords co-occurrence in the recent efficiency analysis literature. Scientometrics, 120(2), 609–629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-019-03132-w
Lubis, M. F., Nasution, M. A., Illian, D. N., Andry, M., Pertiwi, N. N., Sari, S. R., Syahputri, H., Bakri, T. K., Fakri, F., & Irham, L. M. (2025). Revealing Therapeutic Potential of Virgin Coconut Oil Through Scientific Mapping During 2004–2024 With Bibliometric Analysis Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny R Package. Egyptian Journal of Chemistry, 68(12), 0–0. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejchem.2025.353020.11169
Majumder, J., & Minko, T. (2021). Multifunctional and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers for targeted therapeutic delivery. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 18(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2021.1828339
Mikhaylov, A., Mikhaylova, A., & Hvaley, D. (2020). Knowledge Hubs of Russia: Bibliometric Mapping of Research Activity. Journal of Scientometric Research, 9(1), 01–10. https://doi.org/10.5530/jscires.9.1.1
Moral-Muñoz, J. A., Herrera-Viedma, E., Santisteban-Espejo, A., & Cobo, M. J. (2020). Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. El Profesional de La Información, 29(1), 1699–2407. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03
Nasra, S., Bhatia, D., & Kumar, A. (2022). Recent advances in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. Nanoscale Advances, 4(17), 3479–3494. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NA00229A
Ozek, B., Lu, Z., Pouromran, F., Radhakrishnan, S., & Kamarthi, S. (2023). Analysis of pain research literature through keyword Co-occurrence networks. PLOS Digital Health, 2(9), e0000331. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000331
Radu, A., Radu, A.-F., Bungau, G. S., Tit, D. M., & Negru, P. A. (2025). Tracing Five Decades of Psoriasis Pharmacotherapy: A Large-Scale Bibliometric Investigation with AI-Guided Terminology Normalization. Pharmaceuticals, 18(9), 1422. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18091422
Ren, S., Xu, Y., Dong, X., Mu, Q., Chen, X., Yu, Y., & Su, G. (2024). Nanotechnology-empowered combination therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: principles, strategies, and challenges. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 22(1), 431. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-024-02670-7
Tanaka, Y. (2021). Recent progress in treatments of rheumatoid arthritis: an overview of developments in biologics and small molecules, and remaining unmet needs. Rheumatology, 60(6), vi12–vi20. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keab609
Wang, Q., Qin, X., Fang, J., & Sun, X. (2021). Nanomedicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: State of art and potential therapeutic strategies. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 11(5), 1158–1174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2021.03.013
Wang, X., Song, X., Feng, W., Chang, M., Yang, J., & Chen, Y. (2025). Advanced Nanomedicines for Treating Refractory Inflammation-Related Diseases. Nano-Micro Letters, 17(1), 323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01829-7
Wu, Y., Ge, Y., Wang, Z., Zhu, Y., Tian, T., Wei, J., Jin, Y., Zhao, Y., Jia, Q., Wu, J., & Ge, L. (2024). Synovium microenvironment-responsive injectable hydrogel inducing modulation of macrophages and elimination of synovial fibroblasts for enhanced treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 22(1), 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-024-02465-w
Xie, S., Liao, P., Mi, S., Song, L., & Chen, X. (2025). Emerging patterns in nanoparticle-based therapeutic approaches for rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis spanning two decades. Open Life Sciences, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/BIOL-2025-1071/HTML
Ye, X., Ren, D., Chen, Q., Shen, J., Wang, B., Wu, S., & Zhang, H. (2025). Resolution of inflammation during rheumatoid arthritis. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 13, 1556359. https://doi.org/10.3389/FCELL.2025.1556359/FULL
Yue, S., Fan, J., Xie, D., Cao, C., Wang, Z., Huang, J., Qiu, F., Yang, X., He, D., Lu, A., & Liang, C. (2025). Unveiling the Therapeutic Potential: Targeting Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, 27, e18. https://doi.org/10.1017/erm.2025.11
Zhang, M., Hu, W., Cai, C., Wu, Y., Li, J., & Dong, S. (2022). Advanced application of stimuli-responsive drug delivery system for inflammatory arthritis treatment. Materials Today Bio, 14, 100223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100223
Zhang, X., Wang, Z., Bai, Y., Hu, Y., Chen, Q., Liu, Y., & Chang, M. (2025). Therapeutic Effect of a Near‐Infrared Responsive MTX‐Mn 3 O 4 @PDA Nano‐Delivery System on Rheumatoid Arthritis. Advanced Therapeutics, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/adtp.202400345
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Amin Nasution, Muhammad Andry, Nia Novranda Pertiwi, Hindri Syahputri, Syilvi Rinda Sari, Aqmal Ramadhan Pasaribu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY License). This license allows authors to use all articles, data sets, graphics, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, web sites, blogs, and other platforms by providing an appropriate reference. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright without restrictions and will retain publishing rights without restrictions.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
