Humanin

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

Related by research scope · open each to compare

Humanin has no FDA-approved indication and is not authorized for human therapeutic use. It is commercially available strictly for in vitro and animal laboratory research. The compound was not among the 19 peptides designated FDA Category 2 (fda19: false), so the 2025–2026 compounding pharmacy reclassification proceedings do not apply to it. Use in humans outside an approved IND would constitute an unapproved drug use under the FD&C Act.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Humanin

Origin

Humanin is encoded within the 16S ribosomal RNA region of the human mitochondrial genome. It was first identified in 2001 from surviving neurons in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients and represents the founding member of the mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) class.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

16131438

CAS

330936-69-1

InChIKey

DPEUWKZJZIPZKE-OFANTOPUSA-N

ChEMBL

CHEMBL4447799

Molecular formula

C119H204N34O32S2

Molar mass

2687.2 g/mol

Monoisotopic

2685.4822328 Da

InChIKey

DPEUWKZJZIPZKE-OFANTOPUSA-N

Appearance

White to off-white lyophilized powder

Solubility

Soluble in aqueous buffers (PBS, sterile water); limited solubility data in orga…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: As a 24-mer peptide, humanin is susceptible to proteolytic degradation in biological matrices; rapid plasma clearance reflects in vivo instability. Stable in dr

Vial sizes

1 mg

Purity grades

>95% / >98%

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Humanin exerts cytoprotection through multiple convergent pathways
• Extracellularly, it binds the formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1/FPR2), triggering downstream activation of ERK1/2, AKT, and STAT3 pro-survival signaling
• Intracellularly, humanin physically interacts with the pro-apoptotic protein BAX to inhibit cytochrome c release, and with IGFBP-3 to modulate insulin/IGF-1 signaling and reduce apoptosis
• The peptide also suppresses amyloid-beta-induced neuronal death and dampens neuroinflammatory cascades, with reactive-oxygen-species attenuation serving as a unifying mechanistic thread across experimental systems

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

Native humanin: approximately 5–15 minutes in plasma (rodent data); HNG analog: ~30 min in mice, >4 h in rats. Tissue half-life appears substantially longer based on once-daily dosing efficacy in animal studies.

Clearance

Rapid systemic clearance; clearance rate modulated by circulating IGFBP-3 binding capacity (rodent studies).

PK–PD note: PK data derive exclusively from rodent studies (Niikura et al. 2013, PMC3776863). No published human PK data are available. Species-dependent variability is documented.…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• Coradduzza D et al. Humanin and Its Pathophysiological Roles in Aging: A Systematic Review. Biology (Basel). 2023;12(4):558. — Anchoring systematic review; covers neuroprotection, cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, lifespan mechanisms.
• Yen K, Lee C, Mehta H, Cohen P. The emerging role of the mitochondrial-derived peptide humanin in stress resistance. J Mol Endocrinol. 2013;50(1):R11-R19. — Mechanism review: intracellular (BAX, tBID, IGFBP-3) and extracellular (FPRL1, gp130/WSX1/CNTFR) pathways.
• Neuroprotective Action of Humanin and Humanin Analogues: Research Findings and Perspectives. Biology (Basel). 2023;12(12):1534.
• Lee C et al. The mitochondrial derived peptide humanin is a regulator of lifespan and healthspan. Aging (Albany NY). — Primary multi-species study: humanin overexpression extends lifespan in worms and mice; interacts with insulin/IGF-I pathway.

2 registered trials — 0 currently recruiting.

—
NCT06105229
Clinical Value of Plasma Humanin in Acute Kidney Injury

UNKNOWN

—
NCT03431844
Humanin Isoforms in Cardiac Muscle and Blood Plasma and Major Complications After Cardiac Operation

COMPLETED

Summary (literature)

No significant toxicity was observed in acute rodent studies at doses up to 50 mg/kg. Humanin has not been evaluated in formal human safety or toxicology trials. Because it interacts with insulin/IGF-1 signaling, theoretical concerns include hypoglycemia risk and interference wit…

WADA status

Not specifically listed by name on the WADA Prohibited List. However, WADA's catch-all provision prohibits pharmacological substances with no current approval b…

Dominant research route: Intraperitoneal (IP) — the most frequently reported route in published preclinical humanin/HNG rodent studies.

Rodent in vivo (mice) — HNG analog 4 mg/kg twice weekly in 18-month-old C57Bl/6N female mice; isoproterenol/pressure-overload heart failure models in mice

Bioavailability: IP injection in rodents provides rapid systemic absorption approaching IV kinetics; not a clinically translatable route in humans

IP is the most frequently reported route in published preclinical humanin/HNG research (Yen et al. 2018 Sci Rep; S14G-HNG cardioprotection study). Studied only in animals — no human IP use.

Animal models (rodent) and community-reported research-planning use; no published human RCT

Bioavailability: No cited human PK data; SC is described as practical for chronic dosing in animal studies and is the most commonly described route in research-planning references

SC appears in aggregator/community protocols (1–5 mg once daily range cited by community sources) but no first-party human pharmacokinetic study was retrieved. Treat as community route, not cited PK.

Preclinical/acute intervention framing; one aggregator cites 'limited human protocols using analogs' (unverified)

Bioavailability: IV described as providing immediate systemic delivery with ~100% bioavailability in preclinical framing; no retrieved primary human IV PK study

IV bioavailability claim is a cited-authority (aggregator) PK framing, not a retrieved human trial. The 'limited human IV protocols using analogs' claim could not be verified against a primary source and is flagged in highStakes.

Mouse Parkinson's disease models (MPTP/neurotoxic and transgenic) — HN delivered intranasally, detected in brain via trigeminal pathway

Bioavailability: Intranasal HN reached brain tissue in mice, primarily via the trigeminal pathway, producing neuroprotection and behavioral recovery; no human IN PK data

Kim KH, Theranostics 2023;13(10):3330-3345 — primary peer-reviewed animal study of intranasal humanin for CNS delivery. Studied in animals only.

Rodent infusion (cited as a route used in animal studies, 0.1–10 mg/kg range)

Bioavailability: ICV infusion delivers peptide directly to CNS; not a human route. Note: abbrev forced to IP placeholder as ICV is not in the allowed enum — this entry represents intracerebroventricular, not intraperitoneal.

Listed by aggregator as one of three animal-study routes (IP, SC, ICV infusion). No primary ICV PK study retrieved; included for completeness with caveat.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Weekly median $/mg from the live vendor crawl.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $9.86 · median $10.35 · p75 $13.46 · 7 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $9.50–$15.20/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$41

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Independent labs cited for this compound

none found — no FDA recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert specifically naming Humanin (or its HNG/HNGF6A analogs) was located in the FDA Health Fraud Product Database, FDA enforcement archives, or recall registries retrieved for this section. Humanin is not an FDA-approved drug, so it does not appear in drug-specific recall channels.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Humanin is not FDA-approved for any indication; no completed Phase 2 or 3 human trials as of 2026 (per PeptideDeck 2026 review).
• Commercial 'Humanin' is typically an analog (HNG ~1,000x or HNGF6A ~10,000x native potency); unlabeled vials not specifying the analog form are a documented red flag (PeptideDeck).
• Class-level risk: FDA warns unapproved peptide products 'may be contaminated, counterfeit, contain varying amounts of active ingredients, or contain different ingredients altogether' (FDA Warning Letter USApeptide 02/26/2025).
• Aggregate reporting (Outliyr) finds many 'research-grade' peptides carry fake CoAs, low purity, and contaminants (LPS, heavy metals, microbes).
• An HPLC purity certificate alone does not address bacterial endotoxin (LAL) contamination, which requires a separate assay (NorthPeptide/Janoshik commentary).
• 'Research use only' disclaimers do not create an FDA importation exemption; actual marketed/intended use governs enforcement (ChemVerify/FDA guidance).

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No independent third-party lab test results (Janoshik, MZ Biolabs, Finnrick) specifically naming Humanin were located in publicly retrievable databases. Janoshik's public-test portal returned access-restricted (HTTP 403) and could not be enumerated for Humanin-specific entries. Aggregate peptide-market reporting (Outliyr) states many 'research-grade' peptide products are 'counterfeit with fake CoAs, low purity, and/or high levels of contaminants (LPS, heavy metals, microbes),' but this is a class-level observation, not a Humanin-specific prevalence figure.

• Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S. Revised 05/19/2026; published 06/24/2026. Authorizes DWPE of unapproved-drug peptide imports; Humanin (no FDA-approved application) falls within scope when promoted for human use. General alert, not Humanin-specific.66-41
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not specifically named on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List; may fall under S0 (non-approved substances) catch-all category. Not explicitly scheduled.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Longevity-enthusiast communities skew positive on mechanism
• Most user reports are anecdotal single-subject
• Vendor-affiliated content present in search results
• Preclinical-to-translational gap frequently understated in community discussion

Manually researched from reddit, youtube, x— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

Mitochondria-encoded 24-amino-acid cytoprotective peptide studied for neuroprotection, metabolic regulation, and longevity signaling in preclinical models. Approximately 543 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: Research Use Only — no FDA approval or IND on file for human therapeutic use. Research use only.

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