Humanin
An early-stage longevity-research peptide focused on protecting cells from stress-induced death. Almost entirely preclinical so far.
What is Humanin?
Humanin is a small, 24-amino-acid peptide encoded by your mitochondrial genome. It was one of the first mitochondrial-derived peptides identified, and its discovery helped show that mitochondria send chemical signals to the rest of the body. It is studied for broad cell-protective effects, and its levels fall roughly 40% between youth and old age. It is entirely investigational, with essentially all the evidence at the cell and animal level.
How Humanin works
Humanin is a cytoprotectant. Inside stressed cells it blocks pro-apoptotic proteins, including BAX and IGFBP-3, that would otherwise trigger cell death. Outside the cell it binds a receptor complex (CNTFR, WSX-1, and gp130) that activates JAK and STAT3 survival signaling. The net effect in models is fewer cells dying under stress and less oxidative damage. This mechanism is well described in the lab.
What the research shows
In cell and animal studies, humanin and its analogs are protective across several age-related conditions, including models of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and neurodegeneration, and higher natural levels have been associated with stress resistance and healthspan. The honest limitation is that this is preclinical. There is no human clinical trial establishing benefit or dosing for humanin as a therapy, so its anti-aging promise is a hypothesis, not a demonstrated result.
Dosage and how it is used
There is no established human dose. The research is preclinical, so any community protocol is extrapolated from animal work rather than derived from human studies. This is one of the earlier-stage compounds in this library.
→ How to reconstitute Humanin: calculator, units to draw & storage
Side effects and safety
There is essentially no human safety data for humanin. Animal and cell studies have not raised specific alarms, but that does not establish safety in people, and unregulated sourcing adds the usual purity concerns. This should be understood as an early-stage research peptide.
- Research depth: preclinical only. Human clinical trials: none establishing therapeutic use.
- No established human dose and essentially no human safety data.
- Not FDA-approved. Verify current legal and regulatory status independently.
Frequently asked questions
What is humanin?
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA, one of the first mitochondrial-derived peptides discovered. It is studied mainly for cytoprotective and neuroprotective effects, and its levels decline with age.
Does humanin work in humans?
The evidence is essentially preclinical. Humanin protects cells in culture and in animal models of stress and age-related disease, but there is no established human dosing or clinical trial base for using it as a therapy or supplement.
How does humanin protect cells?
It blocks several cell-death pathways, including the pro-apoptotic protein BAX, and activates survival signaling through a receptor complex that engages STAT3. This is why it is described as cytoprotective, though the work is in cells and animals.
Is humanin FDA-approved?
No. It is an investigational, preclinical-stage mitochondrial-derived peptide with no approved human use and no validated self-use protocol.
References
Track Humanin in Peptide AI
Log your doses, connect labs and wearables, and let the AI show you how Humanin is affecting your biomarkers over time.
Download the appEducational information only. This is not medical advice. Peptide AI is an informational and tracking platform. Everything on this page is for general education. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice and is not a recommendation to use any compound. Many peptides listed here are research compounds the FDA has not approved for human use. Talk to a qualified, licensed healthcare provider before you start, change, or stop any protocol.