Objective:

To systematically characterize research trends and knowledge structures in Treg research related to pulmonary diseases, highlighting its significance in understanding disease mechanisms and potential therapies.

Key Findings:

• The research field exhibited a tri-phasic growth pattern: slow initial phase (2000–2008), rapid growth phase (2009–2019), and current high-output phase (2020–present), indicating increasing interest and investment in Treg research.
• The United States was dominant in early research, while China has become the top-producing country since 2021, reflecting a shift in global research leadership.
• Thematic shifts were observed from foundational immune regulation to topics like immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, microbiota-associated immune regulation, and chronic inflammatory lung diseases, suggesting new avenues for therapeutic exploration.

Interpretation:

The bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of global trends and emerging frontiers in Treg research in pulmonary diseases.

Limitations:

• The analysis is limited to publications available in the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases, which may not encompass all relevant research.
• The study only covers publications up to December 31, 2025, and may not reflect the most current research developments or emerging trends.

Conclusion:

Emerging therapeutic strategies suggested in the literature, including targeting Tregs, the tumor microenvironment, or the gut microbiota, may guide future translational research and precision immunotherapy development in pulmonary diseases, highlighting the potential for significant clinical impact.