Irisin: As a Therapeutic Target for Metabolic Disorders

Abstract

During physical activity, muscle expresses a panel of proteins named as myokines which exert beneficial effects on the distant organs of the body. Irisin is a relatively newly discovered myokine mainly secreted by the skeletal muscles. This myokine is a cleavage fragment of a transmembrane protein known as fibronectin domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5). Irisin is known to have multi-spectrum functions including browning of adipose tissue (BAT), enhancing insulin sensitivity, cognition, osteogenesis and metabolism. Due to these functions, irisin has a wide range of therapeutic effects on obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, cancer and dementia. In current, our focus is emphasized upon the therapeutic aspects of irisin and its possible role in the diagnoses of various metabolic disorders. J Endocrinol Metab. 2018;8(5):87-93 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem528w