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Tissue Spheroids as Building Blocks: A Scientometric Analysis
differ in terms of the minimum required fabrication unit the present study being focused on the specific approach
size: Bioprinting is performed at the molecular level, of tissue spheroids as building blocks, we considered it
while bioassembly is performed at the cell cluster level . to be more convenient to work only with one database, in
[7]
Compared with the seeding method, the biofabrication this case, Scopus, which effectively facilitated the search
method enables greater control over the final design of and the further analysis with the powerful analytical tools
the tissue construct, allowing the production of complex available.
geometries and precise distribution of cell clusters.
Bioassembly utilizes different techniques to develop 2. Methodology
tissue spheroids as building blocks, including Kenzan , A competitive technology intelligence (CTI) process,
[9]
Bio-Pick, Place, Perfuse [10,11] , and magnetic-directed with a scientometric analysis, was carried out as
patterning [12,13] . Within the bioprinting framework, there described by Rodríguez-Salvador et al. , this cyclical
[21]
are two techniques for developing tissue spheroids: inkjet process comprised ten main steps: (1) Process planning;
bioprinting and extrusion-based bioprinting . (2) primary and secondary source identification; (3)
[14]
[15]
The aim of the current study is to evaluate and define establishment of information collection strategy;
the current status of tissue spheroids as building blocks. For (4) information collection; (5) expert validation and
this purpose, we applied scientometric tools [16,17] According adjustments; (6) scientometric analysis; (7) expert
to Hess scientometrics involves the “quantitative study validation and adjustments; (8) verification of final
[18]
of science, communication in science, and science policy.” results; (9) results delivery; and (10) decision-making.
While scientometrics at first was predominantly manual, A scientometric analysis on tissue spheroids in
now this field has evolved to a level where text mining general was done recently by Rodriguez-Salvador et al.
[20]
techniques are used to analyze different information sources, The search query applied in that study was considered
which include peer-reviewed scientific publications, for this analysis, which gathered all current information
web sites, and social media (the latter being the newest). regarding tissue spheroids in general, as follows:
Scientometrics adds value to decisions related to research (((spheroid* PRE/1 (cell OR cellular)) OR (“3
and development (R&D), innovation, and in general d spheroid”) OR ((3d OR “three-dimensional” OR
technology management serving academia, industry, and “3 dimensional” OR “three d”) PRE/1 spheroids) OR
government. The research dynamics of a field can be (cancer PRE/1 spheroids) OR (tumour* PRE/1 spheroids)
determined through the analysis of bibliometric indicators OR (tumorspheres OR tumorspheres OR tumorospheres)
where the growth of fields, technology trends (leading OR (cell* PRE/4 spheroid*) OR (multicell* PRE/3
countries, cities, authors, institutions, and journals…) as spheroid*) OR (tissue* PRE/2 spheroid*) OR ((hepat*
well as the focus of research and the newest advancements OR liver OR pancrea* OR thyroid OR organotypic OR
can be determined. cardiomyocyte) PRE/0 spheroid) OR (“self assembl*
To identify the research dynamics of tissue spheroids spheroid”) OR cardiosphere OR (cell AND (spheroid
as building blocks, this study quantified bibliometric PRE/0 (formation OR invasion OR culture)))) AND
indicators related to publishing performance: Number (“tissue engineering” OR “regenerative medicine”) AND
and growth of publications; predominant subject areas; NOT (plant OR graphite OR bacter* OR alga* OR “solar
kinetics of growth from 2015 to 2021; and countries, cell*” OR “eutectic cell*” OR yeast OR spheroidin OR
cities, authors, journals, and institutions publishing the alloy OR rhodopseudomonas OR phytoplankton OR
most papers on tissue spheroids. Scopus database was mycobacteria OR larva OR protista OR volvox OR coli
selected due to its high-quality research coverage. Scopus OR “non-spheroid*” OR anisotropic OR pollen OR coral
is a peer-reviewed database of citations and abstracts OR biofilm OR sponge OR plankton OR microalga*
of scientific articles, books, open access documents, OR dictyostelium OR microbial OR microbe OR
monographic series, conference proceedings and patents, phytoplankton OR saccharomyces OR eps OR candida
and it is updated on a daily basis. It covers science, OR sea OR food OR amoeba OR “date palm” OR kelvin
technology, medicine, social sciences, and the arts and OR peanut OR lanata OR yew OR roseus OR ajuga OR
humanities . “protein aggregates” OR antenna OR batter* OR foam
[19]
In addition, Scopus includes attractive tools useful OR barnacle OR oblate OR review OR overview))
for scientometrics, facilitating the performance evaluation Scientific publications were retrieved from the
of publications, authors, institutions, countries, and Scopus database. Scopus is an abstract and citation
regions. It also enables researchers to determine the database of peer-reviewed literature, which contains over
latest research areas and emerging fields. A scientometric 5000 publishers and 70 million items across scientific
analysis on tissue spheroids was done recently by disciplines (1970 to present) .
[19]
Rodriguez-Salvador et al. where information from both The search and retrieval of scientific publications
[20]
Scopus and Web of Science was analyzed. However, with were performed for journal articles and conference papers
192 International Journal of Bioprinting (2022)–Volume 8, Issue 3