Exploring the landscape of exosomes in heart failure: a bibliometric analysis

Background: Exosomes, which carry bioactive RNAs, proteins, lipids, and metabolites, have emerged as novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic agents for heart failure (HF). This study aims to elucidate the trends, key contributors, and research hotspots of exosomes in HF. Methods: We collected publications related to exosomes in HF from the Web of Science Core Collection. Using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Excel, and SRplot software, we performed a visualization analysis of authors, countries, institutions, keywords, and references. Results: The publications on exosomes in the field of HF ( N = 2127) has grown rapidly. China ( N = 245, 42.683%) and the United States ( N = 170, 29.617%) are the leading contributors in this area. Wang L ( N = 14, 2.443%) is the most prolific author in the field. Key areas of exosome research in HF include mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), angiogenesis, and microRNAs. Additionally, keywords and references analysis reveal that exosome research in HF is primarily focused on the role of exosomes in intercellular communication in HF, the value of miRNAs in exosomes as diagnostic markers, and the therapeutic mechanisms of MSC-derived exosomes. Conclusion: Exosomes are receiving increasing attention in the field of HF. Mapping the development landscape of exosomes in HF will help researchers accelerate progress in this area.