Top Papers •  Top 20 papers overall 1997-June 30, 2007 •  Map of top 20 papers 1997-June 30, 2007 •  Top 20 papers published in the last two years 2005-June 30, 2007 Top Authors Top 20 overall. 1997-June 30, 2007 Top Institutions Top 20 overall. 1997-June 30, 2007 Top Nations Top 20 overall. 1997-June 30, 2007 Top Journals Top 20 overall. 1997-June 30, 2007 Time Series • 1 year • 5 year Field Distribution Field representation. 1997-June 30, 2007 Research Front Maps Four Additional Research Front Map(s) for this special topic including interviews from authors with papers in the core front. 1997-June 30, 2007 Read features, interviews, first-person essays, profiles, other features about people in a wide variety of fields, along with information on journals & institutions in the topic of Stem Cells (2007 update). December 2007 Dr. Outi Hovatta (Research Front Map Interview) December 2007 Dr. Chunhui Xu (Research Front Map Interview) November 2007 Dr. Alberto Hayek (Research Front Map Interview)

Stem cells are defined by the NIH as unspecialized cells that can self-renew over long periods of time through cell division, and, under certain conditions, can be induced to become specialized cells. Both embryonic and adult (or somatic) stem cells are being researched for their therapeutic potential. This month, Special Topics examines the subject of stem cells over the past decade and the past two years.

The 20 most-cited papers on stem cells over the past decade include 17 original articles and three review papers. The overwhelming theme of the list appears to be the hematapoeitic potential of embryonic and adult stem cells. Among the possible types of cells into which stem cells can differentiate are liver cells, bone marrow cells, blood cells, cardiac muscle cells, and vascular endothelium. One paper shows the successful use of stem cells for bone marrow engraftment. Another looks at the incidence of invasive fungal infections in patients who have had stem cell bone marrow engraftment. Finally, one paper debates the developmental plasticity of adult stem cells vs. embryonic cells.

The two-year list consists of 18 original articles and two review papers. Studies on the regulation of stem cells dominate this list and include Wnt and Notch signal pathways, the SLAM family of receptors, and polycomb group proteins. Gene expression profiles of stem cells are also discussed, as are the identification of bronchioalveolar stem cells in normal lung tissue and lung cancer, road maps for blood lineage commitment, and the function of mesenchymal stem cells. One paper details a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of 67 post-myocardial-infarction patients that examined the effects of autologous bone-marrow-derived stem cell transfer on the infarct-related artery. Another paper describes the generation of a functional mammary gland from a single stem cell.

Methodology

To construct this database, papers were extracted based on title-supplied keywords for Stem Cells. The keywords used were as follows: 

stem cell*

The baseline time span for this database is 1997-June 30, 2007. The resulting database contained 16,536 (10 years) and  6,689 (2 years) papers; 47,509 authors; 75 countries; 1,587 journals; and 7,223 institutions.

Rankings

Once the database was in place, it was used to generate the lists of top 20 papers (two- and ten-year periods), authors, journals, institutions, and nations, covering a time span of 1997-June 30, 2007 (third bimonthly, a 10-year plus 6-month period).

The top 20 papers are ranked according to total cites. Rankings for author, journal, institution, and country are listed in three ways: according to total cites, total papers, and total cites/paper. The paper thresholds and corresponding percentages used to determine scientist, institution, country, and journal rankings according to total cites/paper, and total papers respectively are as follows:

Entity:	Scientists	Institutions	Countries	Journals
Thresholds:	17	83	25	19
Percentage:	1%	1%	50%	10%

Return to Menu