From micro-vesicles to macro-trends: A bibliometric anatomy of exosome and miRNA research in acute myeloid leukemia

Ahmadi, Z.; Shabani, M.

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ISSN 3115-8455 (Online) - ISSN 3115-8447 (Print) Quarterly Publication Volume 2 Issue 1 pp. 11-30 , 2026

From micro-vesicles to macro-trends: A bibliometric anatomy of exosome and miRNA research in acute myeloid leukemia Pages 11-30 Download PDF

Authors: Zahra Ahmadi, Mostafa Shabani

DOI: 10.5267/j.sci.2026.1.002

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), MicroRNA (miRNA), Biomarkers, Prognosis, Liquid Biopsy, Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains a significant hematological malignancy where early and accurate diagnosis is critical for improving patient outcomes and therapeutic stratification. With the emerging understanding of liquid biopsies, research on extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, and their microRNA (miRNA) cargo has evolved as a promising domain for AML diagnostics. However, a systematic review is imperative not only to consolidate existing knowledge but also to chart relevant and timely pathways for future research in the AML diagnostics domain. Against this backdrop, in this study, we conduct a bibliometric analysis of research at the intersection of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and exosome-based biomarkers. Our aim is to map the intellectual structure of the field, identify thematic clusters and influential works, and surface emerging and underexplored directions. The Web of Science database was queried on October 01, 2025, using a comprehensive Boolean search string against three thematic pillars: (1) Disease Focus, with the terms “Acute Myeloid Leukemia*”, “AML”, “APL”, "AML-M1", "AML-M6", and related synonyms; (2) Vesicle/RNA Technology, including “Exosome*”, “extracellular vesicle*”, "microvesicle*", and “miRNA” ; and (3) Biomarker Application, using keywords such as “Biomarker*”, “Early Diagnosis”, and “Liquid Biopsies”. We retrieved an initial corpus of 714 documents. Upon applying a two-stage curation protocol based on predefined inclusion criteria (such as language restrictions), a final analytical sample of 710 documents was established for the robust bibliometric analysis. From our analysis, we confirm that the burgeoning domains of AML diagnostics and exosome-based biomarkers are rapidly expanding, with specific molecules like miRNAs and exosomal proteins emerging as central enablers, research focusing on prognostic stratification and residual disease monitoring (MRD) integration, and clear gaps remaining in methodological standardization (e.g., EV isolation) and clinical validation, highlighting promising directions for future investigation.

How to cite this paper

 Ahmadi, Z & Shabani, M. (2026). From micro-vesicles to macro-trends: A bibliometric anatomy of exosome and miRNA research in acute myeloid leukemia.Scientometrica, 2(1), 11-30.

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