What this means
Kidney disease is a major global public health challenge. The pathological mechanisms linking chronic kidney disease (CKD) and age-related kidney function decline are complex.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Earlier studies
- Kind of research
- A summary of earlier studies
The science
- Original title
- Mapping the aging kidney: a bibliometric atlas of cellular senescence and future frontiers since the 20th century.
- Authors
- Wang J, Yang M, Li Y et al.
- Journal
- Frontiers in nephrology
- Published
- Oct 23, 2026
- Study type
- Review
- PMID
- 42908614 ↗
Abstract
Background
Kidney disease is a major global public health challenge. The pathological mechanisms linking chronic kidney disease (CKD) and age-related kidney function decline are complex. Cellular senescence and its senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) act as key links between kidney aging and disease progression. Although publications in this field have surged, a systematic bibliometric analysis is needed to outline its knowledge framework, research hotspots, and future trends. This study aims to quantitatively analyze global publication trends, core contributors (countries, institutions, journals, and authors), and cooperation networks to map the dynamic evolution of this field.
What they did
We conducted a comprehensive literature search across both the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases to retrieve original articles and reviews concerning cellular senescence and kidney aging published between 2000 and 2025. After merging the datasets and removing duplicates, a meticulous bibliometric analysis was executed using Excel 365, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix (an R package) to map the knowledge framework and cooperation networks.
What they found
This analysis included 2,191 relevant papers involving 16,545 researchers. The overall publication volume showed significant growth, reaching a peak in 2025. The United States leads the field with the most publications and the highest citation frequency. China ranks second in publications but fourth in citations, reflecting a gap in research quality. The collaboration network indicates that the United States is the core node, maintaining close ties with countries like China and Germany. The American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology ranked first in publication volume, while the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology achieved the highest citation frequency. Xiang-Mei Chen and Anette Melk were identified as core contributing scholars. Keyword analysis established "aging" (825 times) and "cellular senescence" (330 times) as the central concepts. Emerging topics such as "machine learning," "ferroptosis," and "Mendelian randomization" are rapidly rising as research hotspots. This study maps the evolutionary trends of research on cellular senescence and related kidney diseases, identifying current frontiers and providing data to support future research. The rise of concepts like machine learning, ferroptosis, and Mendelian randomization marks a deep shift in the research paradigm, offering new perspectives for future scientific exploration.
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Wang J, Yang M, Li Y et al. Mapping the aging kidney: a bibliometric atlas of cellular senescence and future frontiers since the 20th century. Frontiers in nephrology. 2026. doi:10.3389/fneph.2026.1905354. PMID: 42908614. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908614/