Bibliometric mapping of secretomes, exosomes, and extracellular vesicles in Alzheimer’s disease

Context: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with limited treatment options, primarily addressing symptoms without targeting underlying mechanisms. Emerging therapies involving secretomes, exosomes, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) show promise in modulating AD pathology, including amyloid-beta accumulation, tau aggregation, and neuroinflammation. Aims: To conduct a bibliometric analysis of global research on secretomes, exosomes, and EVs in AD to identify trends, key contributors, and future research directions. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database. A total of 988 studies were identified based on English-language and final publication-stage studies, reviews, and conference papers. The data were analyzed using Scopus tools, the bibliometrics R package (Biblioshiny), and VOSviewer to evaluate publication trends, key contributors, and keyword co-occurrence networks. Results: Research on secretomes, exosomes, and EVs in AD has grown steadily from 2003 to 2025, with a significant increase in publications since 2010. The studies span 397 sources, with an annual growth rate of 6.5% and a high average citation rate per article (65.55). Key topics included fundamental mechanisms (e.g., neuroinflammation, amyloid-beta, tauopathy), biomarker development, and therapeutic approaches. Emerging areas requiring further exploration include clinical applications (e.g., delivery systems), novel biomarkers (e.g., gut–brain axis indicators), and advanced analytical methods (e.g., machine learning, bioinformatics). Conclusions: This study reveals an expanding global interest in the role of secretomes, exosomes, and EVs in AD. It identifies significant trends and research gaps, emphasizing the need for translational efforts that bridge experimental insights and clinical applications. Future efforts should focus on translating promising findings into clinical applications while addressing underexplored topics and fostering international collaboration.