Investigation of trends in the research on ferritin-based drug delivery systems via a bibliometric and thematic analysis.

Ferritin can be used as a delivery system with a unique nanocage structure, loading different types of cargo for therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic purposes with targeting properties, low immunogenicity, and definite in vivo behavior. This study was based on a longitudinal bibliometric analysis of 706 bibliographies from the Web of Science Core Collection database from January 1992 to December 2025. The data were analyzed, and science mappings were performed. Specific characteristics, including publication year, authors, institutions, countries and regions, keywords, references, co-occurrence analysis, and co-citation analysis, were evaluated, and a network visualization was constructed. Early research hotspots primarily focused on contrast agent delivery for diagnosis due to the targeting ability of the tumor and the blood-brain barrier through the transferrin receptor, as metals were easily loaded onto ferritin. Later, research frontiers shifted steadily to chemotherapy and phototherapy for tumors. Ferritin-based vaccine development has recently emerged as a current research frontier. This study is relevant to academics, practitioners, and decision-makers interested in ferritin-based drug delivery, providing insights into future directions for their research.