What it is
Humanin is a peptide made of 24 amino acids. The body makes it from a gene inside the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the parts of cells that make energy. It was found in 2001 in a search for factors that protect nerve cells in Alzheimer's disease. It helps cells avoid programmed cell death. It is in the same family as MOTS-c, but comes from a different gene. See the MOTS-c entry for that compound. A lab-made version with one amino acid swapped, called HNG, is much stronger and is used in most animal studies. Other names: HN, MT-RNR2 peptide, HNG, S14G-Humanin.
What researchers study it for
- Nerve cell protection in Alzheimer's disease models
- Programmed cell death
- Heart damage after blocked blood flow in mice
- Aging and health markers in animals
- Blood levels in long-lived families
What the studies found
1. It protected nerve cells from Alzheimer's disease genes.
This 2001 study found humanin in brain tissue from a person with Alzheimer's disease. In lab cells, humanin stopped nerve cell death caused by three Alzheimer's disease gene mutations. It also stopped death caused by amyloid-beta, the protein that builds up in Alzheimer's brains. Lab cell data.
2. It blocks a protein that starts cell death.
This 2003 study found humanin binds directly to Bax. Bax is a protein that moves to the mitochondria and starts programmed cell death. Humanin stopped Bax from moving there. This blocked the chain of steps that ends in cell death. Lab data.
3. It shrank heart damage in mice.
This 2010 study blocked blood flow to mouse hearts, then restored it. Mice given humanin before or at the time blood flow returned had smaller areas of dead heart tissue. Fewer heart cells died. Animal data.
4. It left rodent blood in minutes and did not reach the brain.
This 2013 study is the only one to track humanin in the body. After injection into the belly of mice and rats, it left the blood within minutes. It showed up in the liver. It was not found in the brain or heart. It also lowered IGF-1 levels over time in mice. Animal data.
5. Children of people who lived to 100 had higher levels.
This 2020 study found humanin levels drop with age in several species. Children of people who lived to 100 had much higher levels than others their age. Older mice given HNG had better metabolic health markers and less inflammation. Worms with extra humanin lived longer. The human part only measured levels. It did not give humanin to anyone. Animal, worm, and human observational data.
How much research exists
Lab and animal studies, plus human studies that measured blood levels. No human has received humanin in a published trial. No human data on absorption or safety.
Facts
- Formula: C119H204N34O32S2
- Weight: about 2687 g/mol
- CAS number: 330936-69-1
- Sequence: MAPRGFSCLLLLTSEIDLPVKRRA
- Time in the blood: minutes in rodents. No human data.
- Storage: powder in the freezer. Once mixed, keep in the fridge.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.