Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lymphoma continues to pose a major global health challenge. While the application of nanoparticles (NPs) in lymphoma research has shown considerable promise, a comprehensive evaluation of research trends and the underlying knowledge structure remains lacking. This study aims to systematically evaluate the current progress and future trends in NP applications for lymphoma. METHODS: We performed a bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R software on 1040 publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) between 2004 and 2024. Data on publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords were analyzed. RESULTS: Research output demonstrated a consistent upward trend, with China and the United States emerging as the leading contributors. The Chinese Academy of Sciences had the highest output, while the University of North Carolina led in citation impact. The International Journal of Nanomedicine published the most studies, whereas Nature Reviews Drug Discovery ranked first in citations. Partha Partim Manna was the most prolific author, and Jindrich Kopecek's work had the strongest influence. Our analysis revealed crucial research areas, including enhanced drug delivery, nanovaccines, nanodiagnostics and monitoring, green synthesis, and the optimization of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis suggests that several directions in NP applications for lymphoma may hold promise for near-term progress. NP-mediated chemotherapy and targeted therapy could improve drug delivery and help overcome resistance, while NP-based imaging agents may enhance sensitivity and enable real-time monitoring. The integration of NPs with CAR-T therapy may also offer strategies to improve efficacy and safety. Additional avenues, such as nanovaccines and green synthesis, highlight opportunities for immune modulation and biocompatibility. Despite notable translational challenges, multifunctional NP platforms may gradually contribute to advances in lymphoma management.