NO. 027 · LONGEVITY
HUMANIN
Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide · MDP
ALIASES
Humanin, HN, MOTS-c family peptide, mitochondrial-derived peptide
CLASS
Mitochondrial-derived peptide · neuroprotective + metabolic
FORMULA
Synthetic 24-residue peptide (multiple analog variants exist)
SEQUENCE
Met-Ala-Pro-Arg-Gly-Phe-Ser-Cys-Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Thr-Ser-Glu-Ile-Asp-Leu-Pro-Val-Lys-Arg-Arg-Ala (native 24-residue)
HALF-LIFE
Short (minutes) plasma · longer in CNS
ROUTES
Subcutaneous (research) · Intracerebroventricular (preclinical)
MECHANISM OF ACTION
Twenty-four-amino-acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 16S-rRNA (cousin to MOTS-c). Anti-apoptotic via BAX inhibition and neuroprotective in Alzheimer's-disease cell-line models. Discovered by Cohen group 2001 from cDNA library of dying neurons.
EVIDENCE GRADES
Hashimoto 2001 demonstrated humanin protects neurons against amyloid-beta toxicity in vitro and in rodent models.
Muzumdar 2009 demonstrated humanin improves insulin action in obese rats.
Circulating humanin levels correlate with longevity in human population studies (Lee et al., 2015).
SAFETY
Side effects
- Limited human safety data · most research is preclinical
Drug interactions
- Largely unstudied in humans
Contraindications
- None established · research compound only
REGULATORY STATUS
FDA · Not FDA-approved. Research-use only.
WADA · Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List.
STORAGE
Lyophilized · -20 °C 24 months
Reconstituted · 2-8 °C, 14-28 days
PEER-REVIEWED EVIDENCE
- Hashimoto Y, Niikura T, Tajima H, et al.. A rescue factor abolishing neuronal cell death by a wide spectrum of familial Alzheimer's disease genes and Abeta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001. PMID 11371641. link →
- Muzumdar RH, Huffman DM, Atzmon G, et al.. Humanin: a novel central regulator of peripheral insulin action. PLoS One 2009. PMID 19470690. link →
- Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG, et al.. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab 2015. PMID 25738459. link →
FAQ · 7 QUESTIONS
▶ What is humanin?
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid peptide encoded by a small open reading frame within the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. It is one of the first identified mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) with documented protective effects in neuronal and metabolic research.
▶ How is humanin different from MOTS-c?
Both are mitochondrial-derived peptides. Humanin is 24 residues encoded by 16S rRNA and characterized first for neuroprotective activity against amyloid-beta. MOTS-c is 16 residues encoded by 12S rRNA and characterized for AMPK-pathway metabolic effects.
▶ Is humanin FDA-approved?
No. Humanin is research-use only. No FDA-approved indication.
▶ What does humanin do?
Documented effects include neuroprotection against amyloid-beta toxicity (Hashimoto 2001), insulin-sensitizing effects in obese rodents (Muzumdar 2009), and anti-apoptotic activity in multiple cell types via Bax modulation.
▶ Why is humanin called a longevity peptide?
Circulating humanin levels decline with age and have been correlated with longevity in human studies (Lee et al., 2015). Centenarians and their offspring show elevated humanin levels relative to age-matched controls in some cohorts.
▶ What's the dose in research?
Preclinical animal-model research has used SC humanin at 5-10 nmol/kg/day. Human dosing is not established. This wiki does not recommend any human dose.
▶ Is there a humanin variant called HNG?
HNG (S14G-humanin) is a synthetic analog with a serine-to-glycine substitution at position 14 that increases potency ~1000-fold in some cell models. It is the variant most commonly used in mechanism studies.
SIGNATURE MOVES
Inhibits BAX-mediated cell death.
Neuroprotective against amyloid-beta. Cohen group classic.
SOURCED FROM GIGACOMPOUNDS
Reference compounds documented on this page are available as research-grade material at GigaCompounds · ≥99% purity · per-batch Certificate of Analysis. For laboratory research use only. No human dose is recommended by this wiki.
▶ LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-19