{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T15:16:32Z","timestamp":1786115792887,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785974400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To map the research landscape, knowledge base, hotspots, and emerging trends in studies of spinal cord injury (SCI) and the gut microbiota using bibliometric methods.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>English-language original articles and reviews on SCI and the gut microbiota published from January 1, 2000, to March 25, 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix were used to analyze publication trends, collaboration networks, co-cited references, journals, authors, and keyword evolution.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 4,857 publications were included, comprising 3,134 original articles and 1,723 reviews. Annual output increased markedly after 2019. China and the United States were the leading contributors, and Capital Medical University and Wenzhou Medical University were among the most productive institutions. Core journals included Spinal Cord, The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, Experimental Neurology, and Journal of Neurotrauma. Co-citation and keyword analyses indicated a shift in research attention from clinical phenotypes and complication management toward the gut-spinal cord axis, microbiota-derived metabolites, neuroinflammation, immune regulation, probiotics, short-chain fatty acids, and ferroptosis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Research on SCI and the gut microbiota has become a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field. Future studies should strengthen causal inference, mechanistic validation, multi-omics integration, and high-quality clinical translation of gut microbiota-targeted interventions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1852992","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T05:32:20Z","timestamp":1785994340000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bibliometric analysis of research on spinal cord injury and the gut microbiota"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Renkun","family":"Huang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guohua","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xingyun","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chuan","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuchang","family":"Gui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianwen","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University","place":["Nanning, Guangxi, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1162\/qss_a_00019","article-title":"Scopus as a curated, high-quality bibliometric data source for academic research in quantitative science studies","volume":"1","author":"Baas","year":"2020","journal-title":"Quant. Sci. Stud."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.1995.12.1","article-title":"A sensitive and reliable locomotor rating scale for open field testing in rats","volume":"12","author":"Basso","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Neurotrauma"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.2006.23.635","article-title":"Basso mouse scale for locomotion detects differences in recovery after spinal cord injury in five common mouse strains","volume":"23","author":"Basso","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Neurotrauma"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"433","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/awp322","article-title":"Quantitative analysis of cellular inflammation after traumatic spinal cord injury: evidence for a multiphasic inflammatory response in the acute to chronic environment","volume":"133","author":"Beck","year":"2010","journal-title":"Brain"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1162\/qss_a_00018","article-title":"Web of science as a data source for research on scientific and scholarly activity","volume":"1","author":"Birkle","year":"2020","journal-title":"Quant. Sci. Stud."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.1007\/s12602-025-10545-y","article-title":"Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM17938 attenuates neuroinflammatory responses after spinal cord injury by modulating tryptophan metabolism","volume":"18","author":"Cen","year":"2026","journal-title":"Probiotics Antimicrob. Proteins"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"625913","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2021.625913","article-title":"Role and mechanism of gut microbiota in human disease","volume":"11","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"862","DOI":"10.1111\/1751-7915.13968","article-title":"Electroacupuncture modulates the intestinal microecology to improve intestinal motility in spinal cord injury rats","volume":"15","author":"Cheng","year":"2022","journal-title":"Microb. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1186\/s13020-026-01408-x","article-title":"Buyang Huanwu decoction promotes neurorepair after spinal cord injury through a Lactobacillus johnsonii\u2013indole-3-lactic acid\u2013AhR\u2013PI3K\/Akt axis","volume":"21","author":"Dong","year":"2026","journal-title":"Chin. Med."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1434","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14051434","article-title":"The current epidemiology of urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections after spinal cord injury-a model systems spinal cord injury examination (2016\u20132021)","volume":"14","author":"Elliott","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Clin. Med."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1285","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-5347(05)67157-1","article-title":"Epidemiology and risk factors for urinary tract infection in patients with spinal cord injury","volume":"164","author":"Esclar\u00edn De Ruz","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Urol."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0145878","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0145878","article-title":"Intestinal microbiota in patients with spinal cord injury","volume":"11","author":"Gungor","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1038\/s41522-024-00556-y","article-title":"Diet-microbiome interactions promote enteric nervous system resilience following spinal cord injury","volume":"10","author":"Hamilton","year":"2024","journal-title":"NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1038\/s41392-023-01477-6","article-title":"Spinal cord injury: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions","volume":"8","author":"Hu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Signal Transduct. Target. Ther."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e70087","DOI":"10.1111\/ejn.70087","article-title":"Early pro- and anti-inflammatory immune response induced by probiotic treatment after Th9 compression: the interplay between spinal cord and jejunum","volume":"61","author":"Ileninov\u00e1","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eur. J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2112","DOI":"10.1007\/s12602-025-10513-6","article-title":"Exploring innovative approaches for managing spinal cord injury: a comprehensive review of promising probiotics and postbiotics","volume":"17","author":"Jamali","year":"2025","journal-title":"Probiotics Antimicrob. Proteins"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101125","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jot.2026.101125","article-title":"Current status and future prospects of functionalized mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of spinal cord injury","volume":"58","author":"Jin","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Orthop. Translat."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1038\/s41522-023-00466-5","article-title":"Spinal cord injury-induced gut dysbiosis influences neurological recovery partly through short-chain fatty acids","volume":"9","author":"Jing","year":"2023","journal-title":"NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2646","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.2018.6012","article-title":"Melatonin treatment alleviates spinal cord injury-induced gut dysbiosis in mice","volume":"36","author":"Jing","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Neurotrauma"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"704","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2020.00704","article-title":"Traumatic spinal cord injury and the gut microbiota: current insights and future challenges","volume":"11","author":"Jogia","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Immunol."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2603","DOI":"10.1084\/jem.20151345","article-title":"Gut dysbiosis impairs recovery after spinal cord injury","volume":"213","author":"Kigerl","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Exp. Med."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"317","DOI":"10.1186\/s12967-021-02995-z","article-title":"Constipation induced gut microbiota dysbiosis exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in C57BL\/6 mice","volume":"19","author":"Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Transl. Med."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.1631\/jzus.B2200417","article-title":"Short-chain fatty acids ameliorate spinal cord injury recovery by regulating the balance of regulatory T cells and effector IL-17+ \u03b3\u03b4 T cells","volume":"24","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1461708","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2024.1461708","article-title":"Biomaterial-mediated delivery of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients for spinal cord injury: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110136","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopha.2020.110136","article-title":"Research progress in use of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of spinal cord injury","volume":"127","author":"Lu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biomed. Pharmacother."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1442854","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2024.1442854","article-title":"Modulatory effects of traditional Chinese medicines on gut microbiota and the microbiota-gut-X axis","volume":"15","author":"Luo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"417","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(02)07603-1","article-title":"Spinal-cord injury","volume":"359","author":"McDonald","year":"2002","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1832","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2024.05.036","article-title":"Modulation of gut microbiome in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review","volume":"43","author":"Mincic","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1290858","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2023.1290858","article-title":"Gut-spine axis: a possible correlation between gut microbiota and spinal degenerative diseases","volume":"14","author":"Morimoto","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-1253(24)00390-X","article-title":"The intestinal barrier: a pivotal role in health, inflammation, and cancer","volume":"10","author":"Neurath","year":"2025","journal-title":"Lancet Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1007\/s40037-021-00695-4","article-title":"Bibliometrics: methods for studying academic publishing","volume":"11","author":"Ninkov","year":"2022","journal-title":"Perspect. Med. Educ."},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2159","DOI":"10.1089\/neu.2017.5349","article-title":"Investigation of microbiota alterations and intestinal inflammation post-spinal cord injury in rat model","volume":"35","author":"O'Connor","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Neurotrauma"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-024-01136-9","article-title":"Microbiota-neuroepithelial signalling across the gut-brain axis","volume":"23","author":"Ohara","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"541","DOI":"10.1007\/s13311-018-0631-6","article-title":"Spinal cord injury scarring and inflammation: therapies targeting glial and inflammatory responses","volume":"15","author":"Orr","year":"2018","journal-title":"Neurotherapeutics"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10790268.2025.2607831","article-title":"The role of short-chain fatty acids in spinal cord injury: a systematic review of human and animal evidence","author":"Rinderknecht","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Spinal Cord Med."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"872935","DOI":"10.3389\/fncel.2022.872935","article-title":"Ursolic acid ameliorates spinal cord injury in mice by regulating gut microbiota and metabolic changes","volume":"16","author":"Rong","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Cell. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153956","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prp.2022.153956","article-title":"Role of anti-angiogenic factors in the pathogenesis of breast cancer: a review of therapeutic potential","volume":"236","author":"Ruan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pathol. Res. Pract."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wneu.2023.09.022","article-title":"Knowledge mapping of macrophage in spinal cord injury: a bibliometric analysis","volume":"180","author":"Shang","year":"2023","journal-title":"World Neurosurg."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2100074","DOI":"10.1002\/biot.202100074","article-title":"State of the art of bone biomaterials and their interactions with stem cells: current state and future directions","volume":"17","author":"Shao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Biotechnol. J."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5607898","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/5607898","article-title":"Spinal cord stimulation and treatment of peripheral or central neuropathic pain: mechanisms and clinical application","volume":"2021","author":"Sun","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neural Plast."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.3390\/mps9010014","article-title":"Probiotic and prebiotic supplementation for gastrointestinal discomfort in chronic spinal cord injury (PRO-GIDSCI): a randomized controlled crossover trial protocol","volume":"9","author":"Trunz","year":"2026","journal-title":"Methods Protoc."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1007\/s00018-024-05503-w","article-title":"YTHDF2-dependent m6A modification of FOXO3 mRNA mediates TIMP1 expression and contributes to intervertebral disc degeneration following ROS stimulation","volume":"81","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell. Mol. Life Sci."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1038\/s41393-024-00983-w","article-title":"Lactobacillus casei Shirota probiotic drinks reduce antibiotic associated diarrhoea in patients with spinal cord injuries who regularly consume proton pump inhibitors: a subgroup analysis of the ECLISP multicentre RCT","volume":"62","author":"Wong","year":"2024","journal-title":"Spinal Cord"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1186\/s12967-025-06232-9","article-title":"Fecal microbiota transplantation promotes functional recovery in mice with spinal cord injury by modulating the spinal cord microenvironment","volume":"23","author":"Xie","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Transl. Med."},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"441","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jot.2025.04.017","article-title":"Mitochondrial transplantation\/transfer: promising therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury","volume":"52","author":"Xiong","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Orthop. Translat."},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110855","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropharm.2026.110855","article-title":"Indole-3-propionic acid inhibits astrocyte inflammation and promotes motor function recovery after spinal cord injury via the AhR\/NF-\u03baB\/MAPK axis","volume":"289","author":"Yu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Neuropharmacology"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1714","DOI":"10.2174\/1871520621666210901111932","article-title":"Carvacrol suppresses human osteosarcoma cells via the Wnt\/\u03b2-catenin signaling pathway","volume":"22","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Anti Cancer Agents Med. Chem."},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1327027","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2023.1327027","article-title":"Global research trends and hotspots on tendon-derived stem cell: a bibliometric visualization study","volume":"11","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5800","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.204184","article-title":"Moxibustion exhibits therapeutic effects on spinal cord injury via modulating microbiota dysbiosis and macrophage polarization","volume":"14","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Aging (Albany NY)"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1186\/s12967-018-1735-9","article-title":"Gut microbiota dysbiosis in male patients with chronic traumatic complete spinal cord injury","volume":"16","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Transl. Med."},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1483794","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2025.1483794","article-title":"Changes of potential shorty-chain fatty acids producing bacteria in the gut of patients with spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"16","author":"Zhong","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1852992\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T05:32:22Z","timestamp":1785994342000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1852992\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"references-count":51,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1852992"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmicb.2026.1852992","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-302X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-302X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"article-number":"1852992"}}