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Lexicon
Longevity

Humanin

A mitochondrially encoded peptide with a cytoprotective profile, exciting for aging and stress research but barely studied in humans.

2 min read 11 sources

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Vial with white powder, a blue cap and a black TPD label for Humanin on a white podium, next to it a large, branched molecule model of blue and white glass spheres in a bright lab
Preclinical · not approved

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Length
24 amino acids

encoded in the mitochondrial genome (gene MT-RNR2)11

Lower blood sugar
~50 %

diabetic rats, one dose of the stronger variant HNGF6A, over 4 hours5

Less humanin in the blood
~40 %

mice over the first 18 months of life, in humans too the level falls with age8

Longer life in worms
+7.3 %

mean lifespan 19.0 instead of 17.7 days with more humanin (roundworm)8

Trials giving humanin
0 trials

only observational studies on humanin levels in the registry, as of 26 Oct 202610

  • Humanin is a peptide of 24 amino acids encoded in the mitochondrial genome. It was discovered in 2001 as a factor that protected nerve cells from dying in Alzheimer's models.111
  • At the cell surface it binds to the receptor FPR2 and to a complex with gp130. Inside the cell it stops the death protein Bax from damaging the mitochondria.234
  • In rats humanin improved insulin action, a stronger variant lowered the blood sugar of diabetic rats by about half. In mice a variant protected the heart in an infarction model.56
  • The humanin level falls with age in mice and humans. Old mice given a variant did better in memory tests, but treated mice did not live longer.578
  • No trial in which people receive humanin is registered. Everything here is preclinical research, not a recommendation.10
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Mitochondrially encoded peptide
Use
Subcutaneous

in mg

Half-life
short
Status
Preclinical

barely any human data

Sizes
10 mg

1 size in the shop

Contents 16 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. What is Humanin?
  3. How it works
  4. What you need
  5. Reconstitution
  6. Dosing
  7. Injection
  8. What the research shows
  9. Research status
  10. Side effects
  11. Practice
  12. Storage
  13. Related compounds
  14. FAQ
  15. Glossary
  16. Sources

What is Humanin?

Humanin is a small peptide encoded by the DNA of the mitochondria (the cell's power plants). It was discovered in the search for factors that protect nerve cells from dying. In aging and stress research it is seen as an exciting candidate.

Up front: the effects come from cell and animal models. There is barely any data on injected humanin in humans.

Comparison

Peptides around the mitochondria

Where each compound acts, as stated in the TPD lexicon. Tap a card to open its entry.

Mitochondrially encoded, protects cells Humanin FPR2gp130
Mitochondrially encoded, metabolism MOTS-c Synthetic, at the mitochondrial membrane SS-31 (Elamipretide)

Simplified: humanin and MOTS-c both come from the mitochondrial genome, SS-31 is a synthetic peptide that acts at the mitochondrial membrane.

How it works

Humanin acts cytoprotectively, especially against various stress and damage triggers. It also engages mitochondrial function and the stress response. In models it was associated with protection from neuronal cell death and better stress resistance.

Where it acts

Where humanin acted in experiments

Tap a point or a card. Colour = target, grey = observed. All from cell and animal studies.

  1. Brain

    Protected nerve cells, old mice given the variant HNG did better in memory tests7

    FPR2gp130
  2. Liver

    Controlled via the brain, the liver released less sugar and insulin action rose (rats)5

    Observed in trials
  3. Heart

    Smaller infarct and better pumping in an infarction model (mice, variant HNG)6

    Observed in trials
  4. Belly fat

    Less belly fat and more lean mass in older mice given the variant HNG8

    Observed in trials

Known targets2

Compound UniProt Q8IVG9 (MT-RNR2): three described targets, type of action on each card.

Formyl peptide receptor 2
Gene
FPR2
UniProt
P25090
ChEMBL
CHEMBL4227
Action
Binds and activates it, beta-amyloid uses the same docking site
gp130 in a complex with CNTFR and WSX-1
Gene
IL6ST
UniProt
P40189
ChEMBL
CHEMBL3124734
Action
Needed for nerve cell protection (cell study)
Apoptosis protein Bax
Gene
BAX
UniProt
Q07812
ChEMBL
CHEMBL5318
Action
Bound and held back, not a receptor
Glass nerve cells, each in a transparent protective bubble, blue molecule clusters beside them, dark spiky particles flying past
Humanin protects cells from stress. Symbolic image.

What you need

Supplies

2 things, numbered as in the picture

Tick off what you already have. Vial and BAC water are our real shop photos at the same size.

Humanin vial and bacteriostatic water at the same size with the black TPD label, next to two U-100 insulin syringes, two alcohol swabs and a sharps container with a blue lid

  1. Humanin vial

    The humanin vial (lyophilized powder).

    In the shop

  2. Water and supplies

    Bacteriostatic water, U-100 insulin syringes, alcohol swabs.

    In the shop

Reconstitution

Use the peptide calculator. A 10mg vial with 1ml water gives 10mg per ml, 2mg is then 20 units on the U-100 syringe. Just add the water to the vial and let it dissolve.

Step by step

Dissolving the powder

Four steps, the same for every vial size.

  1. 1Wipe the cap

    Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.

  2. 2Add BAC water

    Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.

  3. 3Swirl or shake

    Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

  4. 4Draw up

    With the U-100 insulin syringe.

Less water higher concentration fewer units on the syringe Example: 10 mg + 2 ml = 5 mg/ml

Dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

  • Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
  • Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
  • How long one vial lasts

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin. Common spots are the abdomen (keep about two finger-widths clear of the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm.

The short version:

Injection

Where and at what angle

Pick a spot or switch the angle. Subcutaneous means: into the fat layer, not the muscle.

Rotate the spot each time, never the same one twice in a row.

90°More fat under the skin

Rule of thumb: where there is more fat under the skin, insert straight at 90 degrees. In lean people with little fat, 45 degrees, so the needle stays in the fat layer. Simplified diagram.

  1. Clean the spot with an alcohol swab and let it dry

  2. Pinch up a small fold of skin

  3. Insert the needle: at 90 degrees where there is more fat under the skin, at 45 degrees in lean people with little fat

  4. Inject slowly, wait a moment, then withdraw

  5. Put the needle straight into the sharps container

Rotate the site each time so the tissue does not get irritated. Never the same spot twice in a row.

What the research shows

The discovery work (Hashimoto, 2001) showed that humanin protects nerve cells from a whole range of Alzheimer-relevant insults. Later research linked it to stress resistance and mitochondrial function. That is an interesting preclinical basis but not human proof.

Study results

What the trials measured

Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.

Blood sugar of diabetic rats5

Change over 4 hours after one dose into the vein, in percent

Blood sugar5 Zucker diabetic rats, stronger variant HNGF6A
Without humanin (comparison) 0%
With humanin or a variant -50%

According to the study blood sugar fell by almost 50 percent, with saline it stayed unchanged. 5 versus 4 animals. A stronger variant was given, not humanin itself. In the experiments the effect on the liver ran via the brain.

Mean lifespan of roundworms8

Worms with more humanin compared with normal worms, in days

Mean lifespan8 Roundworm C. elegans, humanin made from its own genome
Without humanin (comparison) 17.7 d
With humanin or a variant 19.0 d

Without the gene daf-16 (FOXO) humanin did not extend life. Mice given the variant HNG twice a week from midlife did not live longer, but had less belly fat.

Clear glass brain and a frosted glass mitochondrion on a bright lab bench, racks of sample tubes beside them
All data come from cell experiments and animal models. Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

ClinicalTrials.gov only lists observational studies that measure humanin levels in the blood, for example after heart surgery or in kidney failure. There is no trial in which people receive humanin. As of 26 Oct 2026. 10

  1. Preclinical Cell assays and animal models
  2. Phase 1 no registered trial
  3. Phase 2 no registered trial
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
Not approved and no registered trial giving humanin to humans. Humanin has only been studied preclinically so far.10

So far there is no registered trial in humans. 10

Side effects

  • Solid human data are missing, so little is known about side effects.
  • Local reactions at the injection site.

Practice

  1. Keep expectations low, everything rests on cell and animal models.

  2. Clearly experimental, start low.

A cup of green tea, a bowl of blueberries and a light blue sleep mask on a white table, a small bunch of flowers behind them

Storage

Before mixing the powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. After mixing, keep in the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), do not freeze. It stays good there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. Swirl or shake to mix, both are fine.

Shelf life

How long it keeps

Undissolved (powder) Room temperature, around 20 to 25 degrees, dark

Robust, no fridge needed.

Dissolved (mixed) Fridge, 2 to 8 degrees, do not freeze

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer.

  • Keep it dark
  • Dissolved: 2 to 8 degrees
  • Note the mixing date on the vial
Nine vials with white powder and blue caps in the door shelf of a bright fridge
Powder dark at room temperature, once dissolved into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), stable there for at least 4 to 6 months. Symbolic image.

Related

Related compounds

A different path: all in the TPD lexicon.

Humanin
MOTS-c Also encoded in the mitochondrial genome SS-31 (Elamipretide) Different peptide focused on mitochondria NAD+ Different approach to cellular energy metabolism Semax Different peptide focused on the brain Dihexa Different approach focused on memory Epitalon Different peptide from ageing research

FAQ

Common questions about Humanin

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

What is humanin?

A small peptide of 24 amino acids encoded in the mitochondrial genome. It is considered the first of a group of peptides from the mitochondria. It was discovered in 2001 in a search for factors that protect nerve cells from Alzheimer-type damage.1191

How does humanin work in the cell?

In several ways. At the cell surface it binds to a complex with gp130 and to the receptor FPR2, which beta-amyloid also uses. Inside the cell it binds the protein Bax and prevents it from moving to the mitochondria and triggering cell death.234

What do animal studies show on metabolism?

Given into the brain, humanin improved insulin action throughout the body in rats. A stronger variant lowered the blood sugar of diabetic rats by almost 50 percent after one dose. Older mice given the variant HNG had less belly fat and more lean mass.58

What is known about the heart?

In an infarction model in mice the variant HNG reduced the size of the infarct depending on the amount. The heart's pumping function was better preserved. This has not been studied in humans.6

Does humanin fall with age?

Yes, in mice and humans. In mice the level fell by about 40 percent over the first 18 months of life. People with a particular gene variant in the humanin region had 14 percent less humanin in the blood and showed faster cognitive ageing. Children of centenarians had more humanin than people of the same age.875

Does humanin extend life?

In roundworms yes, by just over a day to a mean of 19.0 days. Mice given the variant HNG twice a week from midlife did not live longer. There are no data on this for humans.8

Are there human studies?

Not with humanin given as a treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov only lists studies that measure the body's own humanin level. There are therefore no solid data on side effects in humans.10

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

Apoptosis
Controlled cell death, a programme by which damaged cells dismantle themselves.
Bax
Protein that starts cell death by moving into the outer membrane of the mitochondria.
Beta-amyloid
Protein fragment that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease and damages nerve cells.
FPR2
Formyl peptide receptor 2 on immune and nerve cells. Humanin and beta-amyloid both bind to it.
gp130
Shared component of several messenger receptors. With two partners it forms the docking site for humanin.
HNG
Variant of humanin with one swapped building block, markedly more potent. Many animal studies use it.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Mitochondria
The power plants of the cell. They have their own small genome, which also encodes humanin.
Mitochondrial-derived peptide
Short peptide whose blueprint lies in the mitochondrial genome. Humanin was the first one known.
Preclinical
Research before first use in humans, in cell cultures and animal models. Results cannot be transferred directly.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 11 sourcesHide sources 9 Studies1 Trial registry1 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Discovery: humanin protects nerve cells in Alzheimer's models

    Hashimoto et al., PNAS, 2001

    DOI 10.1073/pnas.101133498 PMID 11371646
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  2. Humanin uses the receptor FPR2 (FPRL1)

    Ying et al., Journal of Immunology, 2004

    DOI 10.4049/jimmunol.172.11.7078 PMID 15153530
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  3. Humanin binds to a complex with gp130

    Hashimoto et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2009

    DOI 10.1091/mbc.e09-02-0168 PMID 19386761
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  4. Humanin holds back the death protein Bax

    Guo et al., Nature, 2003

    DOI 10.1038/nature01627 PMID 12732850
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  5. Humanin and insulin action (rats)

    Muzumdar et al., PLoS ONE, 2009

    DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0006334 PMID 19623253
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  6. Variant HNG in an infarction model (mice)

    Muzumdar et al., Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2010

    DOI 10.1161/ATVBAHA.110.205997 PMID 20651283
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  7. Humanin and cognitive ageing in mice and humans

    Yen et al., Scientific Reports, 2018

    DOI 10.1038/s41598-018-32616-7 PMID 30242290
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  8. Humanin, lifespan and healthspan (worm, mouse, human)

    Yen et al., Aging, 2020

    DOI 10.18632/aging.103534 PMID 32575074
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  9. Review: humanin as the first peptide from the mitochondria

    Lee et al., Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2013

    DOI 10.1016/j.tem.2013.01.005 PMID 23402768
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed

Trial registry

  1. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov (no trial giving humanin)

    ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Humanin in UniProt (sequence, gene MT-RNR2)

    UniProt, Eintrag Q8IVG9

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via UniProt

In the shop

Humanin in the catalog

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