MicroRNA regulation in pulmonary fibrosis: a bibliometric analysis of global research trends, collaborative networks, and emerging frontiers

The study presents a bibliometric analysis of 2,093 scientific publications on microRNA regulation in pulmonary fibrosis from 2000 to 2025. Publication numbers increased until 2021, reaching a peak of 229 papers, then stabilized at 150–193 papers annually. China was the most productive country with 889 articles (38.4%), followed by the United States with 477 articles (20.6%), although US and European papers showed higher citation impact. Leading institutions were Nanjing Medical University and University of Pittsburgh. The analysis revealed six major keyword clusters, with the newest research areas including exosomes, extracellular vesicles, mesenchymal stem cells, and COVID-19. The field evolved from basic molecular mechanisms toward emerging frontiers including extracellular vesicle-mediated communication and circular RNAs.