August 19, 2015 | by Eliza Berlage Scientists in the US have found that a the researchers have proven beyond doubt that irisin is real. It settles the argument,“ said Professor Febbraio, who was not involved in the research. Previous studies using commercially available kits called “ELISA” kits detected the presence of irisin, by recognising an antigen, in samples, which could produce inconsistent results with irisin, he said. A Pathway To Benefits For Other Ailments Febbraio said confirming the existence of irisin is a step towards potentially developing therapeutics that could benefit individuals with metabolic disease and obesity. “There is a possibility they could make drugs that target the pathways that are activated by irisin” to produce similar affects of exercise on maintaining body weight, particularly for those who can’t exercise, he said. However, he is sceptical about irisin being turned into a miracle injection, saying such a product would be “somewhat simplistic and fanciful”. At this stage further studies are necessary to fully understand how the hormone works in humans, specifically how it relates to brown and beige fat tissue and energy use but it is an important breakthrough. “It is basically another example that exercise can have multiple benefits to general health and wellbeing,” said Febbraio. Dr Paul Lee, a research officer at the Garvan Institute who specialises in endocrinology, described the finding as “a remarkable step forward.” “The study shows that irisin circulates in humans and it increases after exercise. What awaits exploration in future studies is the biological function of irisin in humans,” he said. https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/verdict-feel-good-exercise-hormone-irisin-real