Kyoto, Japan -- Cell and gene therapies, or CGT, have come a long way since they were first introduced. In the last few decades, both cell therapy -- the transplantation of living cells -- and gene therapy -- the use of genetic material to modify cell functions -- have been increasingly incorporated into clinical practice.

Various challenges and advances have propelled the use of CGT in innovative treatments for diseases that had otherwise proven difficult to conquer. Yet progress has been uneven across different therapies and regions. To accelerate CGT innovation and improve access, it is essential to take a comprehensive look at past research achievements and qualitatively evaluate relevant factors.

These challenges motivated a team of researchers at Kyoto University to take a hard look at past data and assess the current standing of cell and gene therapies in cooperation with Arthur D. Little Japan. Using the PubMed and OpenAlex databases, the team accessed over 160,000 papers related to CGT published between 1989 and 2023. They then conducted a bibliometric analysis of the historical development of these therapies, including contributions by region.