Metabolic & GLP-1PeptideEvidence B3 cited

Humanin

Mitochondrial-Derived Cytoprotective Peptide

aka HN · HNG · S14G-humanin · colivelin

A mitochondrial-derived peptide research associates with neuroprotection and cytoprotective cellular signalling.

Molecular wt

2687.2g/mol

Formula

C119H204N34O32S2

CAS

330936-69-1

Half-life

3 h

estimated

Tmax

1 h

Route

Subcutaneous injection

PubChem

16131438

Sequence

One-letter24 residues

MAPRGFSCLLLLTSEIDLPVKRRA

Three-letter

Met-Ala-Pro-Arg-Gly-Phe-Ser-Cys-Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Thr-Ser-Glu-Ile-Asp-Leu-Pro-Val-Lys-Arg-Arg-Ala

Read this before quoting the sequence

24-residue mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 16S rRNA (MT-RNR2) gene. PubChem CID 16131438 gives this sequence. The widely studied analogue HNG (S14G-humanin) differs at position 14 and is a distinct compound from humanin itself.

Source ↗

Mechanism of action

Humanin is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that interacts with various cellular receptors to exert its protective effects. It binds to the formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1) and other receptors, activating signaling pathways that reduce apoptosis and oxidative stress. Humanin also modulates mitochondrial function, enhancing cellular survival under stress conditions.

What the evidence actually shows

Grade B

There are a few small human trials and several animal studies suggesting Humanin's protective effects in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. Human trials have shown potential benefits in improving insulin sensitivity and reducing markers of oxidative stress. However, larger and more comprehensive studies are needed to confirm these effects and understand the long-term safety profile.

Regulatory status

Status

Not approved in any jurisdiction; research compound. No marketing authorisation identified in Drugs@FDA or the EMA medicines register.

Clinical stage

No registered interventional human trials of humanin as a therapeutic agent were identified; evidence is in vitro and animal.

WADA

Not named on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List. Note S2 also captures 'other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s)'.

research_compound

In the UK, Humanin is considered a research compound and is not approved for clinical use by the MHRA.

Source ↗

Pharmacokinetics

Half-life

3 h

Tmax

1 h

Absorption

subcutaneous

Elimination

renal

Washout

2 days

Low-confidence pharmacokinetics

These figures are recorded as estimated rather than measured in a published PK study. Treat them as an order of magnitude. Anything downstream of them — accumulation, steady state, washout — inherits that uncertainty.

Dosing — what backs each figure

There is no documented human dosing of humanin: ClinicalTrials.gov records mentioning humanin are observational biomarker studies measuring endogenous plasma or tissue humanin, not administration trials. All administration data are rodent, typically using the S14G-HNG analogue by intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injection.

PreclinicalAnimal studies — not a human dose

Two dose levels (low and high, magnitudes not stated in the abstract) of the humanin analogue S14G-HNG given by intraperitoneal injection in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like model, compared against intraperitoneal methylprednisolone
mouse (BALB/c) · intraperitoneal · PMID 35978518

Animal doses do not convert to human doses by body weight alone. Route matters too — a compound dosed intraperitoneally in mice tells you little about subcutaneous use.

Commonly circulatedNot established by any study

Dose: 1-5 mg/dose
Frequency: Daily/3x weekly

Why this isn't evidence
No interventional human trial administering humanin or a humanin analogue exists on ClinicalTrials.gov and no published human dosing study was found, so a flat 1-5 mg per dose given daily or three times weekly cannot derive from any clinical or preclinical source.

This figure is shown because it is what circulates and what people search for — not because it is supported. Cycle lengths in particular tend to be convention copied between compounds rather than anything derived from a compound's own pharmacokinetics.

No established human dose

No approved label or completed human trial establishes a dosing regimen for this compound. Anything presented as a standard protocol for it — anywhere — is someone's convention rather than a finding.

Handling and storage

No compound-specific stability data exists

No compound-specific published stability data (temperature/duration for lyophilised or reconstituted material, light sensitivity, freeze-thaw tolerance) was located in any regulatory label, pharmacopoeial monograph or peer-reviewed source. Only generic lyophilised-peptide handling guidance exists, and generic guidance is not compound-specific; no specific figures are asserted here. Humanin has no approved product and no pharmacopoeial monograph. General peptide handling still applies — reconstitute gently, keep it cold, keep it dark — but any specific figure you see quoted for this compound elsewhere is someone's assumption, not a measurement.

→ Reconstitution walkthrough → Reconstitution calculator

Safety

Commonly reported

·Injection site reactions

Rarely reported

·Allergic reactions

Contraindications

·Pregnancy
·Breastfeeding

Drug interactions

·Insulin: May enhance insulin sensitivity, requiring dose adjustments

Reported combinations

Reported as synergistic

·NAD+ precursors
·Coenzyme Q10

Reported as antagonistic

·High-dose antioxidants: May blunt Humanin's oxidative stress response

Combination claims in this dataset are largely unsourced and should be treated as folk knowledge until a citation appears beside them.

References (3)

Guo B, Zhai D, Cabezas E, Welsh K, Nouraini S, Satterthwait AC, Reed JC (2003) Humanin peptide suppresses apoptosis by interfering with Bax activation ↗
NaturePMID 12732850DOI
Showed humanin binds Bax and prevents its translocation from cytosol to mitochondria, thereby suppressing Bax-dependent apoptosis; the mechanistic paper the compound is best known for.
Yen K, et al. (2020) The mitochondrial derived peptide humanin is a regulator of lifespan and healthspan ↗
Aging (Albany NY)PMID 32575074DOI
Humanin overexpression extended lifespan in C. elegans dependent on daf-16/FoxO; twice-weekly treatment of middle-aged mice with the humanin analogue HNG improved metabolic healthspan measures and reduced inflammatory markers.
Kim SJ, et al. (2016) The mitochondrial-derived peptide humanin activates the ERK1/2, AKT, and STAT3 signaling pathways and has age-dependent signaling differences in the hippocampus ↗
OncotargetPMID 27384491DOI
Demonstrated humanin signals through the GP130/IL6ST receptor complex to activate AKT, ERK1/2 and STAT3, with age-dependent differences in hippocampal signalling in mice.

Data provenance

Chemistry and citations on this page were checked against primary sources on 2026-08-14. Values that could not be verified were left blank rather than filled with a plausible guess.

Could not verify
storage.lyophilized, storage.reconstituted, storage.lightSensitive, reconstitution.solvent

Research use only

This profile is educational reference material. It is not medical advice, not a prescription, and not an endorsement of self-administration. Compounds discussed here are research chemicals and most are not approved for human therapeutic use.

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