Humanin
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by the MT-RNR2 gene, first identified for its ability to protect neurons from Alzheimer's-related toxicity. In research it is studied for cytoprotection, apoptosis resistance, metabolic regulation (insulin sensitivity), and as a longevity-associated signaling peptide.
Researchers and physician-guided users interested in cellular stress resistance, metabolic health, and longevity signaling rather than any single acute effect.
Humanin (HN) is a mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) encoded within the mitochondrial 16S rRNA MT-RNR2 gene and was discovered in 2001 during a screen for factors that protect neurons against amyloid-beta toxicity. Its defining action is cytoprotection: intracellularly it binds and neutralizes the pro-apoptotic protein BAX, preventing its translocation to the mitochondrial outer membrane and blocking cytochrome-c release, and it similarly sequesters IGFBP-3 to suppress apoptosis. Extracellularly, secreted Humanin acts as a signaling peptide through a trimeric receptor complex (CNTFR/WSX-1/gp130), activating JAK2/STAT3 survival pathways.
Research also links it to improved insulin sensitivity, reduced oxidative stress, and neuroprotective and cardioprotective effects in animal and cell models, and circulating Humanin levels decline with age and are elevated in some long-lived cohorts, which has driven interest in it as a longevity biomarker. Most evidence to date comes from cell culture and rodent studies; robust controlled human trials are lacking. Humanin is NOT approved by the FDA for any use, is not a treatment for any disease, and is sold and handled for research use only.
Anyone considering it should do so under qualified physician guidance and treat all dosing as experimental.
Reconstituted and injected subcutaneously; community research protocols commonly use 0.5-2 mg daily, with a conservative 0.5 mg/day start recommended given the limited human dosing data. Note that potent analogs such as HNG (S14G-Humanin) are roughly 1000x more potent than native Humanin and are dosed far lower.
There is no reliable acute or subjective onset; any effects are cumulative cellular/metabolic changes observed over weeks in research settings.
Sometimes explored alongside other mitochondrial-derived peptides such as MOTS-c, or with NAD+ precursors in longevity-focused research; often run standalone.
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This page is educational reference material about compounds studied in research settings. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, possess, or use any compound. Research findings described are from published literature; individual compounds may not be approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician about anything that affects your health.