Abstract
This research involves a detailed scientometric review of Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) research in the last decade that has been published in PLOS journals, assessing publication patterns, authorship, citation impact, and research themes. 1341 articles of relevance were assessed with sophisticated scientometric techniques. Results reveal a peak in CSC publications between 2014 and 2017, after which they declined. Multi-authorship prevailed with single authorship being uncommon. Citation impact was not even, with some very highly cited articles and most receiving little attention. Major areas of research were CSC biomarkers, interactions between the tumor microenvironment, chemoresistance, and immunotherapy, with Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways as focal points. The United States, China, and Europe were the top-producing countries, aided by robust institutional collaborations. Limitation to only PLOS journals restricts generalization beyond this group.
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