Exploring the research landscape of exosomes in Parkinson's disease: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and pathological aggregation of α-synuclein, while early diagnosis and disease stratification remain constrained by the lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers. Exosomes carry proteins, lipids, and diverse nucleic acids and mediate intercellular communication; they may participate in α-synuclein propagation and neuroinflammation and have become a research focus as biomarkers and delivery vehicles due to their stability and potential to cross the blood-brain barrier.

METHODS

Original articles and reviews published between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus; 1,486 publications were included after merging and deduplication. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Microsoft Excel were used for bibliometric and visualization analyses, covering publication output, contributing countries and institutions, authors, journals, citation counts, and keyword trends.

RESULTS

PD-related exosome research spanned 63 countries, with publication output accelerating markedly after 2019 and peaking in 2023 (231 articles), accumulating 72,631 citations. China (427 articles, 28.7%) and the United States (238 articles, 16%) were the leading contributors, with the United States exhibiting a more prominent hub role in international collaboration networks. Taipei Medical University and Capital Medical University were among the most productive institutions; Zhang, Jing, and Shi, Min were among the most influential authors. International Journal of Molecular Sciences served as a core publication venue. Keyword clustering revealed three main research lines: disease models and clinical context; biofluid-derived exosomal biomarkers and diagnostic evaluation; and mechanistic studies on α-synuclein propagation and neuroinflammation. Temporal evolution indicated a shift from mechanistic exploration toward clinical translation, with "engineered exosomes," "delivery," and "stem cell therapy" emerging rapidly in recent years.

CONCLUSION

PD-related exosome research is undergoing sustained expansion with an increasingly translational orientation, and its focus shifting from pathological mechanisms toward biofluid biomarker development and engineered exosome-based delivery strategies. Mapping this knowledge landscape facilitates identification of key teams and emerging directions, providing a reference for methodological standardization, multicenter clinical validation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance clinical translation.