Topics and Trends in Most Cited Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 is driven by precision treatment in acromegaly and evolving research on Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors. Notably, acromegaly and pituitary adenoma saw significant growth in focus compared to the previous cohort, while traditional broad approaches shifted toward targeted biochemical control and related metabolic mechanisms.

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Updated September 13, 2026

At a glance

Field
Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
2,917
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
acromegaly, biochemical control, Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
11–31
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved September 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 2,917
3118m citations

Exercise-Induced Reduction of IGF1R Sumoylation Attenuates Neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice

Yisheng Chen et al.Journal of Advanced Research202410.1016/j.jare.2024.03.025

John H. Zhang, Danping Liu, Yuzhen Xu, Dongyan Wu, Shiyi ChenHuashan Hospital, China

IGF1R sumoylationAPP/PS1 transgenic miceneuroinflammationmoderate-intensity exerciseInsulin-like growth factor 1 receptorSUMO1nuclear translocationKPT-330RanBP2XPO1IL-1βInterleukin-6TNF-αBcl-2BACE1mutant IGF1RIGF1R/RanBP2/SUMO1 complexneuronal apoptosiscognitive functionhippocampal protein expression
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#2 of 2,917
2318m citations

IGF1 drives Wnt-induced joint damage and is a potential therapeutic target for osteoarthritis

Rik J Lories, Silvia Monteagudo et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-53604-8

Silvia MonteagudoKU Leuven, Belgium

osteoarthritisWnt signalingInsulin-like growth factor 1articular chondrocytescartilage-specific Igf1 deficiencyβ-cateninTCF4IGF1 gene promoterpost-traumatic osteoarthritiscartilage-specific deletionIGF1 silencingWnt-induced joint damageWnt transcription factordisease-modifying therapy
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#3 of 2,917
2218m citations

Disease-relevant upregulation of P2Y1 receptor in astrocytes enhances neuronal excitability via IGFBP2

Eiji Shigetomi, Hideaki Suzuki et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-50190-7

Eiji Shigetomi, Schuichi KoizumiUniversity of Yamanashi, Japan

P2Y1 receptorreactive astrocytesneuronal hyperexcitabilityastrocytic Ca2+ signalsneuronal Ca2+ signalsInsulin-like growth factor binding protein 2astrocyte-specific overexpressionepilepsy modelstroke modelastrocyte-neuron interactionexcitatory signalinggenetic upregulationastrocyte-driven neuronal excitation
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#4 of 2,917
2118m citations

Acromegaly Disease Control Maintained After Switching From Injected Somatostatin Receptor Ligands to Oral Paltusotine

Mônica R Gadelha et al.The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism202410.1210/clinem/dgae385

Mônica R. GadelhaUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

paltusotineacromegalysomatostatin receptor 2 agonistoral treatmentsomatostatin receptor ligandsOctreotideLanreotideInsulin-like growth factor 1upper limit of normalAcromegaly Symptom Diarygrowth hormonebiochemical controlsymptom controlphase 3 trialRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialtreatment switching
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#5 of 2,917
2018m citations

IGFBP2/ITGA5 promotes gefitinib resistance via activating STAT3/CXCL1 axis in non-small cell lung cancer

Hengxiao Lu, Jiangshan Ai et al.Cell Death and Disease202410.1038/s41419-024-06843-y

Heng Zhang, Shaoqiang WangWeifang People's Hospital, China

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2ITGA5gefitinib resistanceSTAT3CXCL1Non-small cell lung cancerEGFR-sensitive mutationsacquired resistancenon-EGFR secondary mutationsbronchoalveolar lavage fluidtranscriptional activationbiomarkerSTAT3/CXCL1 axisIGFBP2/ITGA5 axis
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#6 of 2,917
2018m citations

Octreotide Subcutaneous Depot for Acromegaly: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Phase 3 Trial, ACROINNOVA 1

Diego Ferone et al.The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism202410.1210/clinem/dgae707

Fredrik TibergIRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Italy

acromegalyOctreotideCAM2029subcutaneous depotFluidCrystal technologyInsulin-like growth factor 1growth hormonebiochemical controlLanreotideself-administrationquality of lifetreatment satisfactionRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trialdose reduction
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#7 of 2,917
1918m citations

Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote the progression and chemoresistance of HCC by inducing IGF-1

Ke-Jia Lv et al.Cellular Signalling202410.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111378

Hui Guo, Yu-Zhu HouThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China

cancer-associated fibroblastsHepatocellular carcinomaInterleukin-6Insulin-like growth factor 1Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptorNT157STAT3 phosphorylationIRS-1 degradationAKT signallingERK-dependent mannersorafenibchemoresistanceIL-6-IGF-1 axisCAF-tumor cell crosstalkautocrine signalingIGF-1R inhibitorsERK MAPK pathwaysorafenib resistance
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#8 of 2,917
1718m citations

Cardiometabolic Risk Assessment in a Cohort of Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Hyperinsulinemia

Giorgio Sodero et al.Diseases202410.3390/diseases12060119

Giorgio SoderoFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Italy

hyperinsulinemiacardiometabolic riskchildren and adolescentsHOMA-IRtriglyceride glucose indexTyG-body mass indexvisceral adiposity indexlipid accumulation product indexfatty liver indexhepatic steatosis indexInsulin-like growth factor 1ALT/AST ratiocardiovascular risk indicesdiagnostic accuracymetabolic syndromepediatric cohort
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#9 of 2,917
1618m citations

Activation of the insulin receptor by insulin-like growth factor 2

Weidong An et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-46990-6

Xiao‐chen Bai, Eunhee ChoiUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States

insulin receptorInsulin-like growth factor 2IR-B isoformIR-A isoformcryo-EM structuresasymmetric conformationssite-1site-2T-shaped symmetric conformationα-CTFnIII-2 domainC-loopIR isoformsreceptor activation mechanismIGF2 binding affinityIR signalingreceptor trafficking
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#10 of 2,917
1618m citations

Central and peripheral regulation of the GH/IGF-1 axis: GHRH and beyond

Fabio Bioletto, Emanuele Varaldo et al.Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders202410.1007/s11154-024-09933-6

Silvia GrottoliUniversity of Turin, Italy

GH/IGF-1 axisGrowth hormone-releasing hormonecentral regulationperipheral regulationgrowth hormoneInsulin-like growth factor 1somatotrophshypothalamic controlpituitary regulationIGF-1 feedbacksomatostatinghrelinneuroendocrine regulation
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#11 of 2,917
1518m citations

Targeting IGF2 to reprogram the tumor microenvironment for enhanced viro-immunotherapy

Min Hye Noh et al.Neuro-Oncology202410.1093/neuonc/noae105

Tae Jin Lee, Ji Young YooThe University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States

Oncolytic herpes simplex-1 virusInsulin-like growth factor 2tumor microenvironmentviro-immunotherapyGlioblastomaBreast cancer brain metastasisrQNestin34.5v.2IGF2R domain 11IGF2RD11mtoHSV-D11mtneutrophilsPMN-MDSCsCD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytestherapy resistancedecoy receptorRNA-Seq
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#12 of 2,917
1318m citations

Insulin and IGF-1 have both overlapping and distinct effects on CD4+ T cell mitochondria, metabolism, and function

Kaitlin Kiernan et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-54836-w

Nancie J. MacIverDuke University, United States

insulinInsulin-like growth factor 1CD4+ T cellsinsulin receptorInsulin-like growth factor 1 receptorTh17 cellsIL-17 productionmitochondrial membrane potentialMitochondrial reactive oxygen specieshybrid IR/IGF-1RT cell activationT cell metabolismTh17 differentiationcytoprotective effectreceptor signalingmetabolic hormones
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#13 of 2,917
1218m citations

Differences Between GH- and PRL-Cosecreting and GH-Secreting Pituitary Adenomas: a Series of 604 Cases

Marta Araujo-Castro et al.The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism202410.1210/clinem/dgae126

Betina BiagettiHospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Spain

GH- and PRL-cosecreting pituitary adenomasGH-secreting pituitary adenomasacromegalypituitary surgeryserum PRL levelsimmunohistochemistry for PRLmacroadenomastumor invasivenesspresurgical hypopituitarisminsulin-like growth factorbiochemical cure rateDiabetes insipidusMulticenter studysurgical outcomestumor sizeAge at diagnosis
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#14 of 2,917
1218m citations

Changes in acromegaly comorbidities, treatment, and outcome over three decades: a nationwide cohort study

Christian Rosendal et al.Frontiers in Endocrinology202410.3389/fendo.2024.1380436

Christian RosendalAalborg University Hospital, Denmark

acromegalyInsulin-like growth factor 1Pituitary adenomaIGF-1 normalizationdiabetesheart diseasesleep apneajoint diseaseOsteoporosiscancer riskmortality riskmedical therapypituitary surgerypituitary irradiationHypopituitarismbiochemical controlcomorbidity burdenDanish nationwide cohort
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#15 of 2,917
1218m citations

Insulin‐like growth factor‐1 in cirrhosis is linked to hepatic dysfunction and fibrogenesis and predicts liver‐related mortality

Lukas Hartl et al.Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics202410.1111/apt.18289

Thomas ReibergerMedical University of Vienna, Austria

Insulin-like growth factor 1cirrhosisAdvanced chronic liver diseaseHepatic venous pressure gradientClinically significant portal hypertensionEnhanced liver fibrosis testMELD scorehepatic decompensationvariceal bleedingAcute-on-chronic liver failureliver-related mortalityfibrogenesisbody mass index associationliver stiffness
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#17 of 2,917
1218m citations

Anastrozole vs Letrozole to Augment Height in Pubertal Males With Idiopathic Short Stature: A 3-Year Randomized Trial

Walter Zegarra et al.Journal of the Endocrine Society202410.1210/jendso/bvae141

E. Kirk NeelyStanford University, United States

anastrozoleletrozolearomatase inhibitorsidiopathic short staturepubertal malespredicted adult heightbone ageheight augmentationtestosterone levelsestradiolInsulin-like growth factor 1Height velocitybone age advancementmid-parental heightdual energy X-ray absorptiometryspine x-rayslinear mixed models
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#19 of 2,917
1118m citations

A spatiotemporal molecular atlas of mouse spinal cord injury identifies a distinct astrocyte subpopulation and therapeutic potential of IGFBP2

Zeqing Wang et al.Developmental Cell202410.1016/j.devcel.2024.06.016

Ang Li, Guangdun Peng, Yanshan FangShanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

spinal cord injuryspatiotemporal molecular atlasastrocyte subpopulationInsulin-like growth factor binding protein 2mouse modelspatial transcriptomicstemporal gene expressionreactive astrocytestherapeutic targetglial scar formationneuroinflammationastrocyte heterogeneityinjury responseneuroprotection
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#20 of 2,917
1118m citations

The changing landscape of acromegaly – an epidemiological perspective

Christian Rosendal et al.Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders202410.1007/s11154-024-09875-z

Christian RosendalAalborg University Hospital, Denmark

acromegalyepidemiological perspectivedisease landscapeprevalence trendsincidence trendsgrowth hormone excessPituitary adenomadiagnostic patternstreatment outcomesmortality trendscomorbidity patternsdisease awarenessscreening strategiespopulation-based studiestemporal changes
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The research landscape for the Class of 2026 is prominently shaped by investigations into targeted treatments and precise physiological mechanisms. Acromegaly, biochemical control, and the Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor stand out as central themes, reflecting a strong clinical focus on effective management of related disorders. Furthermore, topics such as Pituitary adenoma and IGF-1 normalization highlight an ongoing drive to refine diagnosis and therapeutic outcomes. This strong concentration suggests the field is moving beyond basic discovery toward advanced, clinically applicable interventions that target underlying mechanisms of disease.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a notable pivot toward specialized clinical targets. Acromegaly and Pituitary adenoma experienced substantial growth, indicating an increased research priority on these conditions and their management. Concurrently, broader metabolic topics like Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor biology maintained a steady presence but with growing context around precise biochemical control. These trends demonstrate a field increasingly prioritizing targeted therapeutic strategies and refined clinical outcomes over more generalized endocrinological studies.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/growth-hormone-and-insulin-like-growth-factors/2026. Accessed 2026-10-24.

Methodology
Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459