Retrospective and Bibliometric Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Culture (2020–2025): Navigating Five Years of Technological Shifts, Translational Research and Viral Immune Evasion

Since 2020, SARS-CoV-2 viral culture has been a pivotal experimental tool for elucidating viral biology and supporting translational research. This study provides a five-year (2020–2025) retrospective and bibliometric mapping of 4405 unique publications retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Quantitative science mapping was integrated with a qualitative retrospective assessment of the ten most cited articles to identify influential biological and technological landmarks. The bibliometric results show a publication peak in 2021, with the United States and China as leading contributors. Thematic evolution shifted from foundational viral isolation to variant-specific investigations (Delta and Omicron) and therapeutic development. Retrospective analysis highlights a significant technological transition from standard cell lines to engineered models, including 3D organoids and deep mutational scanning approaches for the characterization of immune escape and viral fitness. Importantly, manual verification identified author name ambiguity as a major methodological limitation distorting productivity metrics. Overall, viral culture remains a critical bridge for validating phenotypic traits and establishing infectivity windows, providing a data-driven framework for future pandemic preparedness.