# Mapping the intellectual landscape and emerging trends of retinitis pigmentosa research

## TL;DR

This paper maps the development of retinitis pigmentosa research, showing a shift from understanding disease mechanisms to developing new treatments, especially gene therapy.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of RP research trends, identifying emerging therapeutic directions and interdisciplinary influences.

## Key findings

- RP research has evolved through four stages, with recent focus on therapeutic innovation.
- Gene therapy and oxidative stress are rapidly growing research areas in RP.
- Interdisciplinary approaches like AI diagnostics and nanomedicine are driving progress in RP research.

## Abstract

To visualize the intellectual landscape of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) research, outline recent advances, identify emerging trends, and offer insights into future directions.

A bibliometric analysis was conducted on RP-related publications retrieved from the Web of Science and PubMed databases (retrieved on 12 December 2024) using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The analysis focused on visualizing key dimensions, including annual publication volume, highly cited publications, and keyword distribution.

Analysis of 8,121 publications identified four main evolutionary stages: early epidemiological characterization, foundational genetic research, a transition toward clinical trials, and recent therapeutic innovation. Initial studies focused on disease mechanisms, whereas current research is largely oriented toward treatment. The field has become increasingly interdisciplinary, with close links among genetics, bioengineering, nanomedicine, and artificial intelligence-based diagnostics contributing to progress. Keyword burst analysis showed sustained research interest through 2024 in topics such as “optical coherence tomography angiography”, “retinal organoid”, and “cell death”. In addition, “gene therapy” and “oxidative stress” emerged as highly active and rapidly developing research themes.

RP research is progressing quickly, with a clear emphasis on therapeutic strategies. The integration of multiple scientific disciplines has accelerated the development of new treatment approaches. Among these, gene therapy and antioxidant-based interventions show strong potential, particularly when used in combination, and represent promising directions for future breakthroughs in RP management.