The Trends and Prospects of Research on Caenorhabditis elegans in the Aging Area: a Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis

Yulin Song; Jinyang Qi; Qiuyu Liao; Xingcan Fan; Haipeng Du; Xiaoping Li; Heyuan Niu; Gang Liu

doi:10.3791/70364

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Method Article

The Trends and Prospects of Research on Caenorhabditis elegans in the Aging Area: a Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis

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DOI:

10.3791/70364

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May 22nd, 2026

Yulin Song^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Jinyang Qi^*¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Qiuyu Liao¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Xingcan Fan¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Haipeng Du¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Xiaoping Li¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Heyuan Niu¹^,²^,³^,⁴ , Gang Liu¹^,²^,³^,⁴

¹Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, ²Ambulatory surgery center, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, ³Tianjin Key Laboratory of Precise Vascular Reconstruction and Organ Function Repair, ⁴Tianjin General Surgery Institute

^* These authors contributed equally

Summary

Here, we present a protocol for retrieving, validating, and analyzing Web of Science Core Collection records on Caenorhabditis elegans and aging using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Scimago Graphica for reproducible bibliometric mapping.

Abstract

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon characterized by the progressive deterioration of physiological functions and increased vulnerability to age-associated diseases. At the cellular level, this process is exemplified by senescence, in which cells experience an irreversible halt in division and enter a state of permanent growth arrest, without progressing to apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), with a short lifespan and well-characterized genetics, is a powerful model for deciphering the molecular basis of aging. Nevertheless, a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of research at the intersection of C. elegans and aging is still lacking. Here, we present a protocol to retrieve records from the Web of Science Core Collection, perform data processing, and conduct reproducible bibliometric visualization using CiteSpace, Bibliometrix (R), VOSviewer, and Pajek, aiming to map the knowledge structure and identify emerging trends in C. elegans aging research. Using 6,117 articles published from 1970 through June 5, 2025, we analyzed country and institutional contributions, authorship, journal impact, citation patterns, and thematic evolution. The dataset comprised 6,117 records from 19,864 authors across 3,798 institutes in 91 countries. Annual publications increased from 312 in 2020 to 341 in 2021 and remained high thereafter. The United States led global output, followed by China, Germany, and the United Kingdom, with collaboration networks concentrated among these countries. The University of California system ranked first in productivity, while the Chinese Academy of Sciences ranked third. Topic evolution indicated a shift from foundational studies of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling (IIS) pathways and stress responses toward emerging themes such as thermal control and mitophagy in C. elegans aging models. Overall, this protocol enables transparent, updatable bibliometric analyses and supports future studies of key directions, including caloric restriction and mitophagy.

Introduction

Aging is a multifaceted biological process that refers to the loss of the proliferative capacity of normal somatic cells after a limited number of divisions. During the aging process, the physiological functions of the organism gradually decline, and susceptibility to age-related diseases increases¹. At the cellular level, this process manifests as DNA damage, such as the accumulation of double-strand breaks and oxidative damage, and these damages exceed the handling capacity of the repair mechanisms. These cellular-level changes are reflected at the organismal level as the gradual deterioration of physiological functions. Furthermore, some stu....