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Myokine—Irisin—and Its Effects Linking Bone and Muscle Function

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Abstract

Irisin is a myokine secreted by the skeletal muscle during physical activity both in mice and humans. Its first identified role was to activate the browning response in white adipocytes, subsequently triggering non-shivering thermogenesis; therefore, Irisin has raised great expectations as a potential target in the treatment of obesity. In 2015, we demonstrated that Irisin plays a central role in the control of bone mass, driving positive effects on cortical mineral density and bone mechanical properties. This effect on the bone was triggered using an Irisin dosage 70 times lower than the one needed to induce the browning response, suggesting that the skeleton is the primary target organ of this myokine. Moreover, our studies also highlighted the autocrine effect of Irisin on the skeletal muscle, overall suggesting that Irisin plays a fundamental role in the physiology of the musculoskeletal system. More recently, we demonstrated the efficacy of Irisin in preventing and restoring bone and muscle losses in a mouse model affected by disuse-induced osteoporosis and muscular atrophy. Hopefully, if future investigations will be confirmed in humans, it may lead to develop an Irisin-based therapy for physically disable or bedridden patients and it might also represent a countermeasure for astronauts subjected to microgravity.

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Funding

This work was supported in part by ESA (ERISTO) grant (to M.G.), by MIUR grant ex60% (to M.G.) and by SIOMMMS grant (to G.C.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy

    Graziana Colaianni & Maria Grano

  2. Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, 70124, Bari, Italy

    Giacomina Brunetti & Silvia C. Colucci

Authors
  1. Graziana Colaianni
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  2. Giacomina Brunetti
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  3. Silvia C. Colucci
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  4. Maria Grano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Grano.

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Conflict of Interest

G. Colaianni, G. Brunetti, S.C. Colucci, and M. Grano are the names of inventors of the Italian patent (MI2015A000558) and the European patent (16165324.1-1453) related to the work described.

Ethical Approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This animal interventional study is in accordance with the European Law Implementation of Directive 2010/63/EU and all experimental protocols were reviewed and approved by the Veterinary Department of the Italian Ministry of Health (Project 522-2016PR).

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Not applicable. This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Colaianni, G., Brunetti, G., Colucci, S.C. et al. Myokine—Irisin—and Its Effects Linking Bone and Muscle Function. Clinic Rev Bone Miner Metab 16, 16–21 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12018-017-9240-x

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