This study conducted a social network analysis to investigate stem cell research which was actively being studied as an alternative for the treatment of intractable diseases due to infinite proliferation and differentiation ability. Papers was extracted from the PubMed database (DB) on the subject of ‘Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) and Embryonic Stem Cells (ES)’, and ‘Adult Stem Cell (AS) and Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MS)’. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) term was filtrated from each area. MeSH term of iPS and ES field was 148 (international), 71 (domestic), otherwise AS and MS were 89 (international), 78 (domestic). Keyword networks were visualized using degree centrality value and the core keywords compared. There was no difference in iPS and ES field compared with the domestic and international high-ranked keywords. Gene Therapy in the international level, Liver Regeneration and the Umbilical Cord in domestic were highly centered. In AS and MS fields, Neuron was high degree centrality both. Time lagged high ranked 30 keywords in slope were different, ‘Adipose Tissue’ increased both, otherwise ‘Stem Cell Transplantation’ did domestically. Although the absolute amounts of the research papers are different, research subjects had become similar to international trends following certain time lags. On the other hand research is conducted on the specific subjects in Korea. Keyword analysis will be useful method for searching a subject to actively being studied in stem cell research area.

• Hae-Lan Jang(Department of Nursing Joongbu University, Geumsan 32713, Korea) Corresponding author