Development of the relationship between tumor and mechanobiology over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis

The influence of mechanical forces on tumour behaviour has garnered increasing attention in recent years, as these forces significantly affect tumour progression.A comprehensive analysis of global research on tumour mechanobiology is presented here, based on 1759 publications from 1994 to 2023. The analysis focuses on the extracellular matrix(ECM), the tumour microenvironment, and commonly used tools like atomic force microscopy(AFM).A comprehensive review of 612 studies reveals the involvement of multiple cancer types and identifies 137 biomolecules across 10 signalling pathways as central to the interaction between mechanical and biological signals. The findings emphasise the critical role of mechanical forces in tumour biology and suggest the potential for leveraging this knowledge to develop targeted cancer therapies.