Bibliometrics is a term that combines two elements: bibliography and metrics. It refers to studies that involve statistical analyses of various types of publications [1]. Due to the information explosion in recent decades, conducting reviews and analyses of research studies across different fields has become essential. This practice helps to ensure that important topics are not overlooked, tracks the progress or decline in specific areas of research, and provides valuable insights for future studies.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a significant health threat in the 21st century, with an estimated 1.14 million deaths attributed to it in 2021. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been a leading contributor to both deaths associated with and attributable to AMR from 1990 to 2021 [2]. Factors such as mutations in chromosomal genes and the horizontal transfer of resistance genes increase the likelihood of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus [3].

Staphylococcus aureus is a cocci-shaped Gram-positive bacterium that is arranged in grape-like clusters. Its colonies are golden or yellow in color [4] and are responsible for many complex infections [5]. The mec gene, located on its associated chromosomal cassette (SCCmec), encodes the penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP 2A) [6, 7], which has not only a lower affinity to methicillin, but also to other members of β-Lactam antibiotics [3].

Alexander Fleming's observation and, more importantly, his curiosity led to the discovery of penicillin, which marked the beginning of the use of antibiotics to treat infectious diseases [8]. At that time, a significant percentage of infected patients were dying, with an estimated average life expectancy of just 47 years [9]. However, over time, the effectiveness of antibiotics declined due to their indiscriminate use [10] and the natural resistance processes in bacteria [11]. As a result, there is a pressing need to discover new antibiotics, enhance the effectiveness of existing ones, and develop alternative strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Overall, the mechanism of action of antimicrobial drugs can be summarized into four groups: disruption of cell membrane function and cell wall synthesis, inhibition of protein synthesis, inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis, and antimetabolites. Antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis include beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin, cephalosporin, monobactam, and carbapenem, non-beta-lactam antibiotics including bacitracin and fosfomycin, and glycopeptide antibiotics, of which vancomycin is one [8].

There are several strategies to address the resistance problem associated with MRSA. These include the use of beta-lactamase inhibitors [12] and the replacement of methicillin with vancomycin [13]. While vancomycin is often the standard treatment option, it comes with certain limitations, such as the need for high doses, nephrotoxicity, and longer treatment durations [14, 15]. Novel approaches may involve the use of nano-carriers to deliver anti-MRSA agents or the application of nanoparticles in MRSA treatment [16].

Nanotechnology can be defined as a technology that leverages nanoscience for various applications. This area of research has the potential to impact different fields, but this article focuses specifically on the pharmaceutical aspects of nanotechnology, particularly in the treatment of MRSA. Typically, nanotechnology operates at the nanoscale, employing a variety of tools and systems. These nanosystems include carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, nanoshells, nanobubbles, metal nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, dendrimers, nanocapsules, and nanoemulsions, etc [17]. The growing interest in the medicinal and therapeutic applications of nanosystems stems from the limitations and drawbacks associated with conventional therapeutic methods, outdated formulations, and other delivery techniques [18]. Additionally, the unique characteristics and capabilities of nanosystems offer significant advantages over traditional methods.

Web of Science and Scopus are two prominent databases used for bibliometric studies [19, 20]. For this study, we employed Scopus, which enables users to search across different sections of publications, including titles, abstracts, and keywords. Furthermore, Scopus offers various filtering options based on document type, publication year, journal, country, and more. It also features advanced search capabilities using coding.

The overall landscape of nanotechnology-based MRSA research from 2007 to 2025 demonstrates a rapidly expanding and increasingly structured scientific domain, driven by global concern over antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the limitations of conventional antibiotics. Our bibliometric findings align with recent global analyses showing a sustained rise in MRSA-related publications and a shift in scientific leadership toward Asian countries, particularly China [22]. China’s dominance is further reflected in the concentration of high-output institutions—such as the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences—and major funding bodies including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which collectively shape the research ecosystem in this field. These patterns are consistent with broader bibliometric evaluations of MRSA research, which highlight China’s expanding scientific capacity and institutional networksResearch Square. Moreover, the presence of prolific authors such as Govender, Mocktar, and Omolo, alongside the prominence of high-impact journals including ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, International Journal of Nanomedicine, and Acta Biomaterialia, underscores the scientific maturity and interdisciplinary nature of this research area. Emerging nanotechnological strategies—such as nanozymes, photothermal therapy, chemodynamic therapy, and multifunctional nanocarriers—have been repeatedly emphasized in recent high-impact reviews as promising alternatives to traditional antimicrobial approaches [23–25]. Collectively, these findings indicate that nanotechnology has evolved from a supplementary tool into a central pillar of next-generation MRSA therapeutics, supported by strong institutional funding, active international collaborations, and publication in leading journals. This integrated evidence base provides a robust foundation for interpreting the trends identified in our study and highlights the accelerating momentum of nanotechnology-driven antimicrobial innovation at the global level.

Recent advances in nanotechnology-based strategies for MRSA treatment have been accompanied by a broader global shift in scientific productivity, particularly between China and the United States. As demonstrated in our bibliometric results, China has emerged as the dominant contributor to this research domain, a trend that aligns with broader patterns observed in global scientific output. According to recent analyses [26], the long-standing scientific leadership of the United States (across multiple scientific domains) has gradually shifted, with China exhibiting sustained and accelerated growth in both publication volume and citation impact. Data extracted from the Scimago database covering the period 1996–2024 further illustrate this transition: while the United States historically occupied the top position with 16,963,549 documents and 564,191,398 citations, China ranked second with 11,684,858 documents and 11,461,281 citations. However, updated statistics from 2024 reveal a marked reversal, with China surpassing the United States by producing 1,215,824 documents and accumulating 1,404,224 citations, compared with 743,884 documents and 694,392 citations for the United States during the same period [27]. This shift, consistently observed from 2020 to 2024, reflects not only China’s accelerated growth in scientific output but also its long-term governmental commitment to strengthening research infrastructure, increasing competitive funding, and supporting innovation across multiple scientific domains, particularly those aligned with global health challenges [28–30]. These dynamics help explain China’s pronounced dominance in MRSA-related nanotechnology research and underscore the influence of national research policies, funding structures, and institutional networks on shaping global scientific landscapes.

Policy-oriented analyses have documented how China’s long-term science and technology strategies, coupled with sustained increases in R&D expenditure, have systematically prioritized high-technology domains such as nanomedicine, biomaterials, and anti-infective innovation [31, 32]. This strategic orientation is reflected in a series of high-impact experimental studies demonstrating sophisticated nanoplatforms against MRSA and other microbial infections: for example, infection-microenvironment-responsive nanoparticles integrating chemodynamic therapy (CDT) [25, 33], photothermal therapy (PTT) [34–36], and immune modulation [37] have been shown to eradicate microbial agents without relying on conventional antibiotics. Complementary work on nanozyme-based systems, including transition-metal nanozymes and simple-synthesis VO₂ nanozymes [24], has revealed robust peroxidase-like and oxidase-like activities that enhance ROS generation, disrupt MRSA membranes, and simultaneously promote tissue repair, underscoring the dual therapeutic and regenerative potential of these platforms, which highlight China as one of the most active and influential contributors to this rapidly evolving field. When viewed alongside broader evaluations of China’s rise as a global scientific power and its expanding leadership in biotechnology and nanotechnology [30], these developments suggest that China’s dominance in MRSA-related nanotechnology research is not merely a reflection of publication volume, but the outcome of a strategically aligned ecosystem in which national policies, competitive funding schemes, and high-impact institutional collaborations collectively accelerate innovation in nano-enabled antimicrobial therapies.

India has emerged as the second leading contributor in the global landscape of nanotechnology-based antimicrobial research against MRSA, surpassing the United States in publication output. This achievement can be attributed to several interrelated factors, including the rapid expansion of research institutions, substantial governmental investment in nanoscience [38] and biotechnology [39], and the establishment of collaborative networks with international partners. Furthermore, India’s strong focus on addressing public health challenges such as antibiotic resistance [40, 41] has stimulated significant interest in applying nanomaterials and nano-enabled therapeutic strategies to infectious diseases. Collectively, these efforts have positioned India as a major driver of innovation in this field, reflecting both its growing scientific capacity and its commitment to tackling global health threats.

Nanozymes, first conceptualized in 2004 [42], represent a class of artificial enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials that offer superior stability, lower production costs, and scalable manufacturing compared with natural enzymes [43]. Their unique catalytic properties have positioned them as promising candidates for combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including MRSA. In one notable study, Zheng, Liu, and Chen et al. introduced an ultrasound-responsive nanozyme platform capable of eradicating MRSA-induced myositis in a controllable and spatially precise manner. This strategy not only enhanced antibacterial efficacy but also minimized collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissues, highlighting the potential of externally triggered nanozyme systems for targeted infection management [44]. Expanding on this concept, Gao and Xu et al. developed a nanozyme-embedded hydrogel designed specifically for diabetic wound environments—conditions that are highly susceptible to chronic infection and impaired healing. Their system actively modulated the wound microenvironment by promoting oxygen and nitric oxide generation while simultaneously scavenging excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby preventing the transition of acute wounds into chronic, non-healing states [45]. This work underscores the multifunctional role of nanozymes, extending beyond direct antibacterial activity to include microenvironmental regulation, which is critical for successful wound repair.

Despite these advances, the intrinsic catalytic efficiency of many nanozymes remains a major bottleneck limiting their antibacterial robustness, particularly under clinically relevant conditions. To address this challenge, Zha, Wu, Cheng and colleagues developed a Cu-doped nanozyme with markedly improved catalytic performance, which can be further activated through near-infrared (NIR) photothermal stimulation. This dual-mode strategy produced a strong synergistic effect, substantially enhancing bactericidal activity and enabling complete (100%) eradication of MRSA in experimental models [46]. Collectively, these findings highlight how rational nanozyme engineering—whether through external energy activation, microenvironmental modulation, or elemental doping—can dramatically elevate catalytic output and therapeutic efficacy. Nevertheless, translating these promising laboratory results into clinical application will require rigorous evaluation of long-term biosafety, catalytic durability in complex physiological environments, and the establishment of standardized assessment frameworks to ensure reproducibility and regulatory readiness.

Quorum sensing is a population-dependent communication system that enables bacteria to coordinate collective behaviors by sensing fluctuations in cell density. Through the production and accumulation of autoinducers—pheromone-like signaling molecules that differ structurally between Gram-positive and Gram-negative species—bacteria can regulate processes essential for community survival, including virulence, biofilm maturation, and population homeostasis [47]. Building on this concept, Chen, Yao, Zhou and colleagues developed silver-based nano-heterojunctions capable not only of exerting potent antibacterial effects against MRSA but also of disrupting quorum-sensing-associated gene expression, thereby weakening bacterial communication networks and pathogenicity [48]. Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), another emerging antimicrobial modality, leverages Fenton or Fenton-like reactions to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which induce oxidative damage in cancer cells or pathogenic bacteria [49]. In a representative example, He et al. synthesized a novel MXene-based nanoplatform that integrates photothermal therapy with CDT, achieving synergistic antibacterial activity and effective MRSA eradication [50].

When the Excel forecasting tool was applied to estimate the annual publication trend in this field, the model initially predicted a temporary decline beginning in 2024, with the projected output for 2025 falling below 300 publications. This early forecast, however, was generated before incorporating the cross-sectional data available for 2025. Once the publication statistics from the first four months of 2025 were examined, a markedly different trajectory emerged. Recent years have shown a consistent and accelerating rise in research activity within this domain, and the strong publication momentum observed in early 2025 suggests that this upward trend is likely to persist throughout the remainder of the year. Considering the rapid advancements in nanotechnology, the growing scientific interest in nano-enabled antimicrobial strategies, the increasing number of research institutions entering this field, and the global urgency surrounding antibiotic-resistant infections, a sustained long-term increase in publication output appears far more plausible than the temporary decline predicted by the initial model. These observations underscore the importance of integrating real-time data and domain-specific contextual factors when interpreting automated forecasting outputs, particularly in rapidly evolving research areas.

Nanozymes, as a rapidly advancing class of catalytic nanomaterials, have emerged as a promising platform within pharmaceutical nanoscience for combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens [51] such as MRSA. Although their intrinsic catalytic limitations initially constrained their therapeutic performance, recent innovations—including elemental doping, microenvironmental modulation, external activation strategies, and the integration of photothermal [46] or chemodynamic modalities [52, 53]—have substantially expanded their antibacterial potential. Parallel progress in nanodevice-based drug delivery systems [54–59] has further demonstrated the ability of engineered nanoparticles to overcome drug resistance, enhance targeted delivery, and reduce systemic side effects, thereby strengthening their clinical relevance [16].

Nanotechnology is a rapidly advancing area of research with broad applications across multiple scientific domains. It has demonstrated considerable effectiveness in addressing complex research challenges, particularly within nanoscience, where its unique tools have enabled significant breakthroughs. One of the major challenges of recent decades is the rise of antibiotic resistance, which poses a serious threat to global health. In this context, our review of published studies focusing on MRSA—a particularly problematic pathogen—highlights the substantial contributions of nanotechnology to its treatment. Notably, China has emerged as a leading contributor in this field, with Asian countries collectively ranking highest at the continental level. The most frequently occurring keywords include silver nanoparticles, vancomycin, and photothermal therapy, while emerging terms such as nanozymes, chemodynamic therapy, and photothermal therapy reflect evolving research priorities. It is also important to emphasize that nanocarriers represent one of the most effective platforms for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Furthermore, China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and India exhibited the highest total link strength, underscoring the importance of establishing strong collaborations with diverse countries, universities, and scientific institutions. Access to adequate research funding, appropriate facilities and policies, and the presence of dedicated and active researchers also play critical roles in advancing scientific progress.