Theoretical · Grade C
Humanin
Longevity & Anti-Aging
Score
62 / 100
Class
Mitochondrial-derived peptide
Mechanism
Cytoprotective
Status
Preclinical / associational
TL;DR
01
The first-discovered 'mitochondrial-derived peptide' — a 24-amino-acid peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA, with cytoprotective and neuroprotective activity.
02
In cell and animal models it protects neurons against Alzheimer's-related toxicity and has broad stress-protective effects.
03
In humans the evidence is associational: higher humanin levels are linked to longevity and better metabolic health (including in centenarians and their offspring).
04
There are no interventional human trials, which is why it is rated Theoretical — association is not proof of benefit from taking it.
05
It is not approved and is sold as a research chemical with no quality guarantees.
Human interventional trials
None
no dosing RCTs
Preclinical
Neuroprotective
cell/animal (Alzheimer's models)
Human data
Associational
levels ~ longevity
Mechanism
Stress cytoprotection
mitochondrial signaling
Approval
None
research chemical
Part 01 · How it works
Mechanism.
Humanin was the first peptide found to be encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, hinting that mitochondria send protective signals to the rest of the cell. In lab studies it shields neurons from the kind of damage seen in Alzheimer's disease and protects many cell types under stress. In people, researchers have noticed that those with higher humanin levels — including some long-lived families — tend to have better metabolic health. That's intriguing, but it's a correlation: no trial has given humanin to people to see whether it actually helps.
A built-in 'survival signal' from your mitochondria that protects cells in the lab, and that long-lived people seem to have more of — but no one has tested whether adding it does anything.
Mitochondrial-derived peptide
Encoded in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA (MT-RNR2) region; the founding MDP.
Cytoprotection
Protects neurons against multiple Alzheimer's-relevant insults and other cells against apoptotic stress in models.
Metabolic association
Higher circulating levels associate with longevity and favorable metabolic profiles in humans.
Evidence stage
Preclinical + human association; no interventional human trials.
Part 02 · Dosing & administration
How it's taken.
No validated doseNo independently validated human dosing exists for Humanin. Provided for educational purposes only — this is not medical advice and not instructions for self-administration. Consult your healthcare provider before making any health decision.
Dose
No validated dose
No completed clinical trials define a safe or effective human regimen. Preclinical studies used cell-culture concentrations and animal dosing (e.g., intraperitoneal HNG in mice), which do not translate to human dosing. This entry is educational and is not a dosing recommendation.
·
There is no human interventional dose; circulating regimens are unregulated.
·
Analog HNG (S14G) is more potent in models but equally untested clinically.
·
No purity/dose guarantee in research-chemical supply.
Need help with reconstitution?
Use the free peptide calculator for dilution, unit conversion, and injection volume.
Part 03 · Safety
Side effects, rare serious events, who shouldn't.
Common
Human tolerability
No interventional human safety data.
Uncharacterized
Serious · rare
Long-term human safety
No human supplementation safety data.
Unknown
Product-quality risk
Research-chemical supply; purity/dose unknown.
Source-dependent
Absolute · do not use
×
Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no human safety data of any kind)
×
Anyone seeking an FDA-approved or clinically proven therapy, since humanin has no completed human trials
×
Active or recent cancer or known senescent-cell burden, given the laboratory finding that humanin can amplify the pro-inflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (theoretical concern)
×
People on glucose-lowering medication, where unmonitored use could compound effects on blood sugar
×
Known hypersensitivity to the peptide or injection excipients
×
Use outside qualified medical or research supervision
Relative · discuss first
!
Pregnancy or breastfeeding — no data
!
Anyone expecting proven benefit — no human interventional trials
!
Reliance on it for neurologic disease in place of evidence-based care
Interactions
Insulin and other glucose-lowering agents
Preclinical data show humanin improves insulin sensitivity, so additive blood-sugar lowering and hypoglycemia risk are theoretically possible; effect in humans is unstudied
Theoretical
Senolytic drugs
A review notes humanin may increase the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in the lab; the net interaction with agents that clear senescent cells is unknown and could be additive or opposing
Theoretical
Cardiovascular medications (e.g., agents affecting nitric oxide/eNOS or AMPK pathways)
Animal data show humanin activates AMPK-eNOS signaling; potential overlap with cardiovascular drugs has not been evaluated in humans
Theoretical
Other investigational mitochondrial-derived peptides (e.g., MOTS-c)
Combined use is unstudied; overlapping mitochondrial-signaling and inflammatory effects could compound in unpredictable ways
Theoretical
Labs to monitor
Fasting glucose and HbA1c
Baseline and periodically if used in a monitored research setting
Preclinical studies show humanin can improve insulin sensitivity, so blood-sugar effects are theoretically possible and would warrant monitoring in any research use
Inflammatory markers (e.g., hs-CRP)
Baseline and periodically in a monitored setting
A review reported humanin can amplify pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in senescent cells in the lab; inflammation status is a reasonable safety parameter given the unknown human profile
Comprehensive metabolic panel (liver and kidney function)
Baseline and periodically in a monitored setting
General safety surveillance for any investigational injectable with no established human safety data
Part 04 · Evidence
How strong is the evidence?
62
Grade C
Grade C, Theoretical. Humanin has a compelling cytoprotective mechanism and suggestive human longevity associations, but no interventional human trials — association is not proof that supplementation helps.
Mechanistic plausibility
Well-characterized cytoprotective/neuroprotective biology; founding mitochondrial-derived peptide.
80
Human evidence
Human data is associational (longevity/metabolic); no interventional trials.
38
Safety & tolerability
Endogenous peptide; no human supplementation safety data.
60
Durability
No human outcome data.
55
Independence
Studied across multiple independent groups.
66
Part 05 · Research log
Every study we cite.
We list each study with its methodology, funding source, and our quality grade. Flagged studies aren't dismissed — they're tagged so you can weigh them.
01
2001
J Neurosci Flagged
Neuroprotection by humanin against Alzheimer's-relevant insults
Humanin (and derivatives) protected neurons against a wide range of familial-Alzheimer's and amyloid-beta insults with clear action specificity — the foundational characterization.
Cell-based neuroprotection study · Cell-based mechanism; not human interventional evidence.
PMID 11717357 ↗
Moderate (preclinical)
Evidence against
What didn't work, and where the evidence is thin.
Every publication is incentivized to tell you a peptide works. We catalogue the null results, failed trials, and mechanism limits we found in the same literature — so you can weigh them against the upside, with your provider.
01
Human evidence is association, not intervention
Mechanism limit human longevity association literature · 2001
Humanin's protective effects are demonstrated in cells and animals; its human 'evidence' is that higher natural levels correlate with longevity and metabolic health. No trial has tested giving humanin to people.
What this means: Correlation between a peptide and health can run either direction and doesn't show that supplementing it helps. Human benefit is unproven.
PMID 11717357 ↗
Part 06 · Cost & access
Where it's available, at what price.
United States
Not approved
No approved product; research chemical.
Grey-market; unregulated
European Union
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
United Kingdom
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
Canada
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
The Peptide Column takes no affiliate commission from any source. Humanin has no interventional human trials and is not approved anywhere; consumer supply is research-grade and unregulated, and benefit from supplementation is unproven. We link only to clinician-directed care, never to sellers.
Part 07 · Your appointment
Questions to bring.
01
Given that humanin has no completed human trials and is not FDA-approved, is there any responsible role for it outside a formal research study?
02
How would we weigh the unknown safety profile, including the laboratory finding that humanin can amplify inflammatory signaling in senescent cells?
03
I take medications for blood sugar, heart, or cognition; could an experimental peptide that affects insulin sensitivity and apoptosis interact with these?
04
If I am interested in the underlying biology, are there validated, evidence-based interventions (exercise, diet, sleep) that raise endogenous mitochondrial-peptide signaling more safely?
References
Every citation, numbered.
Citation list. For our editorial read of each study — including bias flags and quality grades — see the Research log above.
- 01. Neuroprotection by humanin against Alzheimer's-relevant insults · J Neurosci, 2001 · PMID 11717357 ↗
- 02. PubMed. Humanin neuroprotection and longevity-association literature