Humanin
PreclinicalThe first peptide ever found hiding inside mitochondrial DNA, with strong protective biology and zero human trials.
What it is
Humanin is a small signaling peptide discovered in 2001 in a region of an Alzheimer's brain that had surprisingly survived. Unusually, it is encoded in mitochondrial DNA rather than in the nucleus. It appears to act as a stress-response signal, and it is detectable in human blood.
How it works
Cells are kept alive partly by a delicate balance between survival and self-destruct signals. Humanin tips the scale toward survival. In the lab it shields neurons from toxic protein fragments, blocks a cell-death protein called Bax, and supports metabolic pathways. It is your own body's molecule; levels tend to fall with age.
What people report
- ✦Protects cultured neurons and other cells from damage in the lab
- ✦Shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose handling in rodent work
- ✦The founding example of an entire class of mitochondrial-derived peptides
- ✦Circulating levels decline with age, a repeatably observed human biomarker
Typical use
None exists. Humanin has never been given to people in a completed trial.
Dosing reference
No reference human dosing. Any human use is entirely outside observed evidence. Verify against primary literature.
Reference only — not a recommendation. Verify via primary sources.
Watch for
All the supportive biology comes from cells and animals. Human observations are correlational, not interventional. Interesting and well-studied at the bench, unproven as a treatment.
Educational content — not medical advice.