Abstract
We have constructed a citation network model of the 20% most cited patent families on cancer and liposomes. This model was structurally analyzed through a combination of two Cytoscape plugins: Clust&see and AllegroMCODE. We found four patent meta-families (densely interconnected regions) in the network model. Three of the four patent meta-families are related to specific anti-cancer liposomal formulations: LEP-ETU, LE-DT, Doxil® and Marqibo®. This model was compared with a previous study on the knowledge translation in literature network. Both models show that liposome used as a carrier of old drugs is simultaneously the paradigm and the dominant design for liposomes and cancer. Our results evidence that the innovation process in this field, is conservative and continuous.
Keywords: Citation network analysis, drug carriers, innovation, patents families.
Graphical Abstract
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