{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T06:03:19Z","timestamp":1780984999449,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780963200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play important roles in immune homeostasis and pulmonary disease progression. However, the global research landscape, thematic evolution, and emerging frontiers of Treg research in pulmonary diseases remain unclear. This study aimed to systematically characterize research trends and knowledge structures in this field using bibliometric methods.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 9,079 deduplicated publications related to Tregs in pulmonary diseases were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases from 2000 to 2025. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were performed to evaluate publication trends, country contributions, collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation patterns, and emerging hotspots.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The field exhibited a tri-phasic growth pattern: a slow initial phase (2000\u20132008), a rapid growth phase (2009\u20132019), and the current high-output phase (2020\u2013present). The United States played a dominant role in the early period, while China has emerged as the top-producing country annually since 2021. Keyword co-occurrence and co-citation analyses revealed a thematic shift from foundational immune regulation and cytokine networks toward emerging translational topics, including immunotherapy, the tumor microenvironment, microbiota-associated immune regulation, and chronic inflammatory lung diseases.The analyses also identified the most prominent keywords, clusters, and highly cited references that together define the evolving knowledge structure of Treg research in pulmonary diseases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of global trends and emerging frontiers in Treg research in pulmonary diseases. Emerging therapeutic strategies suggested in the literature, including targeting Tregs, the tumor microenvironment, or the gut microbiota, may guide future translational research and precision immunotherapy development in pulmonary diseases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1839305","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T05:42:56Z","timestamp":1780983776000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The evolving role of regulatory T cells in pulmonary diseases: immunomodulatory mechanisms and translational directions revealed by bibliometric analysis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Qiuxia","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University","place":["Zhenjiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianfeng","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University","place":["Zhenjiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huici","family":"Yao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University","place":["Zhenjiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ying","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University","place":["Zhenjiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"433","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-physiol-021119-034610","article-title":"Aging and Lung Disease","volume":"82","author":"Cho","year":"2020","journal-title":"Annu Rev Physiol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1990","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2021.03.005","article-title":"The aging lung: physiology, disease, and immunity","volume":"184","author":"Schneider","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1007\/s10875-019-00684-7","article-title":"Regulatory T cells: the many faces of Foxp3","volume":"39","author":"Georgiev","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Clin Immunol"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.immunol.25.022106.141623","article-title":"Regulatory T Cells: mechanisms of differentiation and function","volume":"30","author":"Josefowicz","year":"2012","journal-title":"Annu Rev Immunol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.3389\/ebm.2024.10040","article-title":"Role of regulatory T cells in mouse lung development","volume":"249","author":"Jiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Exp Biol Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4865","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms24054865","article-title":"Th17\/Treg imbalance: implications in lung inflammatory diseases","volume":"24","author":"Thomas","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2021.663203","article-title":"Regulatory immune cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: friends or foes?","volume":"12","author":"van Geffen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/4355386","article-title":"Tumor-associated regulatory T cells in non-small-cell lung cancer: current advances and future perspectives","volume":"2022","author":"Liang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Immunol Res"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.20317","article-title":"Citespace II: detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature","volume":"57","author":"Chen","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Assoc Inf Sci Technol"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1028","DOI":"10.1038\/nm.2807","article-title":"Mechanisms of fibrosis: therapeutic translation for fibrotic disease","volume":"18","author":"Wynn","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"445","DOI":"10.1038\/nature07204","article-title":"The development of allergic inflammation","volume":"454","author":"Galli","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"975","DOI":"10.1002\/stem.3369","article-title":"Mesenchymal stem cells regulate type 2 innate lymphoid cells via regulatory T cells through Icos-Icosl interaction","volume":"39","author":"Fan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Stem Cells"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1111\/imr.12959","article-title":"The double-edged sword of Tregs in M. tuberculosis, M. avium, and M. absessus infection","volume":"301","author":"Verma","year":"2021","journal-title":"Immunol Rev"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1389","DOI":"10.1172\/jci200423595","article-title":"Tregs and allergic disease","volume":"114","author":"Robinson","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Clin Invest"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1186\/s13054-015-0811-2","article-title":"The ratio of Th17\/Treg cells as a risk indicator in early acute respiratory distress syndrome","volume":"19","author":"Yu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Crit Care"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1186\/s12931-020-01593-9","article-title":"Airway regulatory T cells are decreased in COPD with a rapid decline in lung function","volume":"21","author":"Eriksson Strom","year":"2020","journal-title":"Respir Res"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"585","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2018.00585","article-title":"Regulatory T-cells: potential regulator of tissue repair and regeneration","volume":"9","author":"Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1466901","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2024.1466901","article-title":"Updates on the controversial roles of regulatory lymphoid cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis","volume":"15","author":"Curioni","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"790","DOI":"10.1038\/nrd3810","article-title":"Targeting the Tgf\u03b2 Signalling pathway in disease","volume":"11","author":"Akhurst","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat Rev Drug Discov"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"L285","DOI":"10.1152\/ajplung.00106.2021","article-title":"Complex roles of Tgf-\u0392 signaling pathways in lung development and bronchopulmonary dysplasia","volume":"324","author":"Calthorpe","year":"2023","journal-title":"Am J Phys Lung Cell Mol Phys"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1504627","article-title":"Nivolumab versus docetaxel in advanced squamous-cell non-small-cell lung cancer","volume":"373","author":"Brahmer","year":"2015","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1540","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)01281-7","article-title":"Pembrolizumab versus docetaxel for previously treated, Pd-L1-positive, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (Keynote-010): a randomised controlled trial","volume":"387","author":"Herbst","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1038\/s41571-019-0175-7","article-title":"Regulatory T cells in Cancer immunosuppression - implications for anticancer therapy","volume":"16","author":"Togashi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat Rev Clin Oncol"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1038\/s41419-023-06391-x","article-title":"Anti-Ctla-4 Nanobody as a promising approach in Cancer immunotherapy","volume":"15","author":"Babamohamadi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell Death Dis"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2024.1387975","article-title":"Regulation of Treg cells by cytokine signaling and co-stimulatory molecules","volume":"15","author":"Zong","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1038\/nature12626","article-title":"Influence of tumour Micro-environment heterogeneity on therapeutic response","volume":"501","author":"Junttila","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro.2016.142","article-title":"Emerging pathogenic links between microbiota and the gut\u2013lung axis","volume":"15","author":"Budden","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat Rev Microbiol"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"834","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18050834","article-title":"Latilactobacillus curvatus Im01 alleviates allergic airway inflammation through microbial and metabolic crosstalk along the gut-lung axis","volume":"18","author":"He","year":"2026","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1080\/19490976.2025.2516702","article-title":"Gut microbiota in regulatory T cell generation and function: mechanisms and health implications","volume":"17","author":"Sharma","year":"2025","journal-title":"Gut Microbes"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"L180","DOI":"10.1152\/ajplung.00039.2019","article-title":"Amphiregulin modulates murine lung recovery and fibroblast function following exposure to agriculture organic dust","volume":"318","author":"Poole","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1186\/s10020-023-00770-y","article-title":"Irf4 affects the protective effect of regulatory T cells on the pulmonary vasculature of a bronchopulmonary dysplasia mouse model by regulating Foxp3","volume":"30","author":"Zhu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Mol Med"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1436491","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2024.1436491","article-title":"Comprehensive analyses of immune activity in COVID-19-vaccinated idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients","volume":"15","author":"Maciejewska","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1730575","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1730575","article-title":"Global trends of peripheral immune tolerance research: a bibliometric and visualization analysis","volume":"17","author":"Kong","year":"2026","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3393342","DOI":"10.1155\/jimr\/3393342","article-title":"Global trends in research of amino acid metabolism in T lymphocytes in recent 15 years: a bibliometric analysis","volume":"2025","author":"Xu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Immunol Res"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1839305\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T05:42:58Z","timestamp":1780983778000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1839305\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1839305"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1839305","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]]},"article-number":"1839305"}}