Humanin
November 8, 2023Major Finding
6/10
Purrptide digest
Humanin was discovered almost by accident, isolated from cells surviving Alzheimer's-related stress that should have killed them. It's a literal survival signal. Like MOTS-c, it's mitochondrial-genome encoded — these two peptides keep showing up together in longevity research for that reason. Levels of Humanin decline with age in humans, and supplementing it in animal models extends lifespan and protects neurons from multiple types of cellular stress.
What this means for you
🏃
If you care about weight/health
Naturally declining levels with age put this firmly in 'replace what you're losing' territory for the longevity-focused crowd.
🩺
If you're a clinician
Cytoprotective effects against multiple stressors (not just one disease pathway) is what makes this interesting beyond a single indication.
🔬
If you're a researcher
Discovered through Alzheimer's-resistant cell survival research — the origin story alone is worth understanding for context on its mechanism.
💸
If you follow biotech
Another mitochondrial-derived peptide with longevity signal. This category is quietly becoming one of the more credible areas in the space.
HA
Hashimoto et al.
Keio University School of Medicine
For the nerds
A rescue factor abolishing neuronal cell death by a wide spectrum of familial Alzheimer's disease genes and Abeta
PNAS · DOI: 10.1073/pnas.231165798
Read full paper on PubMed →