Advances and Global Trends in Three-Dimensional Human Tissue Models for HIV Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Despite antiretroviral therapy’s success in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management, no cure or preventive vaccine exists; three-dimensional (3D) human tissue models—emerging from biomedical research, tissue engineering, and microfluidics—offer new potential, yet a scientometric analysis of their progress remains lacking. We reviewed the current status of three in vitro 3D models for HIV research: organoids, organ-on-a-chip, and 3D bioprinting. We conducted a bibliometric comparative analysis of 3D human tissue models in HIV research. A total of 852 documents published between 2014 and 2024 were retrieved and analyzed. We found that brain organoids, intestinal organoids, tonsil organoids, kidney organoids, and thymus and spleen organoids effectively support HIV infection and are widely used in in vitro HIV research. Organ-on-a-chip has been primarily used for rapid HIV detection, while 3D bioprinting models have been used in areas such as in vitro HIV detection and diagnosis. Our results showed that the yearly output of articles in 3D human tissue models for HIV has remained relatively stable over the past decade. European institutions impacted greatly on the scientific society of HIV research in 3D human tissue models. The hotspots of 3D human tissue models for HIV research expanded from antiretroviral therapy and molecular docking to 3D printing and organoids. This comparative study presented a unique perspective to understand the evolutive history and future trends of 3D human tissue models for HIV and emerging human-relevant in vitro organotypic models.

Impact Statement

Three-dimensional (3D) human tissue models represent transformative platforms for HIV research, offering unprecedented physiological relevance to study viral persistence and therapeutic strategies. However, there lacks a comprehensive scientometric analysis of their global evolution and hotspots. This study provides the first bibliometric comparative analysis of 852 publications (2014–2024), revealing key insights: brain/intestinal/tonsil organoids dominate HIV infection modeling, organ chips enable rapid detection, and 3D bioprinting expands diagnostic applications. We further identify shifting hotspots from antiretroviral therapy to 3D printing and organoid technologies. This work delivers a quantitative roadmap for tissue engineers to prioritize physiologically relevant model development and accelerate HIV cure discovery.