Mitochondrial & antioxidant

Humanin

A mitochondrial peptide studied for cell protection and metabolism; the biology is real, the injected product is not.

Anecdotal evidenceNot approvedAdd to compare

What it is

Humanin is a small peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA and found circulating in human blood. It is studied for protecting cells from stress and for metabolic effects on insulin sensitivity. As an injected research product it is not approved anywhere, and human data come from observing natural levels rather than from giving it to people.

How it works

1
A 24-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA and released into the bloodstream.
2
Binds and blocks pro-apoptotic proteins, protecting cells from stress-induced death.
3
Improves insulin sensitivity and glucose handling in rodent models.
4
Acts on the hypothalamus and other tissues in animal studies of appetite and metabolism.
5
Circulating humanin falls with age and metabolic disease — correlation, not proof that raising it helps.

What it's studied for

Ageing and metabolic research

Insulin sensitivity in animal models

Neuroprotection in laboratory studies

Mitochondrial-derived peptide biology

Reported and studied effects

Improved insulin sensitivity in animal models
Protection of cells from stress-induced death in laboratory studies
Human observational links between low humanin levels and metabolic disease
No confirmed clinical outcome from administered humanin

Research protocol notes

Research context only

Research context only — no approved protocol exists. Rodent studies use microgram-to-milligram-per-kilogram doses, often by injection. A related analogue, humanin-G, has been tested in small human studies of cognitive and metabolic outcomes, but that is a different molecule. Any humanin injection schedule sold online has no trial basis.

These figures are described so you can understand what researchers did. They are not a dose, a schedule, or a suggestion — and they are not a substitute for a doctor.

Possible side effects and contraindications

Safety profile

Possible side effects

Not studied in humans
Injection-site reactions
Unknown effects on glucose control and blood pressure
Long-term safety unknown

Contraindications and cautions

Not established
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood
Cancer history — the pathways involved are also growth-related
Metabolic disease without medical supervision

A side-effect list is never complete, and these are not the only situations that warrant caution. Anything unexpected, or anything you are unsure about, should be discussed with a doctor before use.

Evidence assessment

Anecdotal evidenceNo controlled human data

No controlled human data

Human humanin biology and its analogues have early clinical work, but administered humanin itself has no controlled human trials, so the evidence for using it is anecdotal.

References

References link to published literature, regulator pages or literature indexes. Where a link points to a search, it collects the peer-reviewed work on that molecule rather than a single study.

Compare Humanin with another peptide →

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Anecdotal evidenceNot approved