Irisin Research Landscape (2012-2024): A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Evolving Hotspots and Future Trends

Irisin, an exercise-induced myokine, promotes the browning of white adipose tissue. Over a decade of research has expanded its functions to include the amelioration of metabolic disorders and protection of neural, skeletal, muscular, cardiac, and renal systems. Exogenous administration of irisin has been demonstrated to mimic the beneficial effects of exercise, showing therapeutic potential for a range of conditions including obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, myocardial ischemia, and chronic kidney disease. Irisin emerges as a promising circulating biomarker for assessing health status. By offering a quantitative, data-driven perspective from macro to micro scales, bibliometrics serves as a crucial decision-support tool for irisin research. It facilitates the mapping of the intellectual landscape, pinpoints knowledge gaps and underinvestigated niches, and tracks the temporal evolution of research fronts, thereby guiding future investigative priorities.

Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) using the search strategy "Topic = irisin", covering the period from its discovery in 2012 to 2024. After applying language (English-only) and type (article/review) filters, VOSviewer, CiteSpace and R package "bibliometrix" was used to conduct the bibliometric analysis.

This bibliometric analysis was conducted on a total of 2412 articles sourced from 78 countries. China emerged as the leading contributor, ranking first among the corresponding authors' countries. The primary research institutions identified were the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, Firat University, and Harvard University. The most locally cited authors were Mantzoros CS and Spiegelman BM, while Aydin S was recognized as the most relevant author. The most frequently occurring keywords included "exercise", "obesity", and "FNDC5". The latest trend topics identified were "neuroinflammation", "ferroptosis", "chronic kidney disease", and "cognition".

This bibliometric study delineates irisin's emerging clinical translational prospects, thereby providing evidence-based guidance for prioritizing research on irisin's therapeutic targeting and biomarker validation across multidisciplinary clinical contexts.