A bibliometric analysis of research trends and emerging frontiers in heat shock proteins and hepatocellular carcinoma from 2015 to 2025

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are key regulators in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), but a comprehensive bibliometric analysis covering the latest research progress is lacking. This study aims to systematically depict the research landscape, collaboration network, and emerging trends of HSPs in HCC from 2015 to September 2025. Based on 817 publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), a bibliometric analysis was conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix R tools. The annual publication output in this field showed fluctuating growth, with the cumulative scale continuously expanding and academic attention steadily increasing. China was the largest contributor with 503 papers (accounting for 59.32%), whereas the United States played a central role in international collaboration and demonstrated high academic influence (average 33.69 citations per paper, total link strength 74). Institutional analysis revealed that Chinese institutions, including Zhejiang University and Fudan University, formed close domestic collaboration networks, with Fudan University ranking first in influence (average 33.30 citations per paper). Keyword analysis indicated that research themes are evolving from classical mechanisms such as “apoptosis” and “oxidative stress” toward emerging directions, including “network pharmacology” (with the highest burst strength), “tumor microenvironment (TME)”, and “nanoparticles”. Highly cited publications were predominantly reviews (70%), focusing on mechanisms such as ferroptosis, suggesting the field is experiencing a phase of knowledge synthesis alongside active original investigation. This study comprehensively reveals the development characteristics of the field, providing crucial insights for scholars to understand research trends, plan frontier directions, and promote translational research.