ArticleJournal of thoracic disease2026
A bibliometric analysis of post-translational modifications in esophageal cancer based on the Web of Science Core Collection database [2000-2026].
Article in Journal of thoracic disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is a highly lethal malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play critical regulatory roles in EC carcinogenesis, progression, and therapy resistance. However, current EC PTM research remains fragmented across different modification types and molecular targets, hindering a systematic understanding of research trajectories and knowledge gaps. To date, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has quantitatively mapped the global landscape of EC PTM research. This study aims to systematically characterize the publication trends, geographic distribution, research hotspots, and unaddressed areas in EC PTM research over the past 26 years, and identify promising prognostic candidate genes for future preclinical investigation. Methods: We retrieved EC PTM articles from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) [2000-2026] using a Boolean query. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. Bibliometric analyses used R/Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Abstract-level genes and PTMs were categorized and cross-referenced with the PTMD database; The Cancer Genome Atlas-Esophageal Carcinoma (TCGA-ESCA) data identified unstudied genes with differential expression and prognostic significance. Results: Of 1,963 articles identified, output followed three phases: nascent growth [2000-2011], expansion [2012-2019], and maturation [2020-2026]. China contributed 69.7% of publications. Methylation (405 genes) and phosphorylation (326 genes) dominated, while glycosylation and sulfation were underrepresented. STAT3 was the most studied gene. We identified 1,776 unstudied PTM-related genes, of which 11 showed both differential expression and prognostic significance, enriched in nucleosome assembly and immune response pathways. Conclusions: This study maps EC PTM research quantitatively. Methylation-based liquid biopsies and STAT3 inhibitors are translatable advances, yet knowledge siloes persist for multi-PTM crosstalk and underexplored modifications. The 11 candidate genes provide a concrete preclinical pipeline. Diversified research, CRISPR validation, and international consortia are needed to ensure clinical impact across diverse populations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.