# Humanin

Mitochondrial-derived cytoprotective peptide; anti-Alzheimer's in animals only.

- Page: https://peprank.xyz/peptides/humanin
- Category: Neuroprotection & repair (Research peptide)
- Also known as: HN; HNG (S14G analogue)
- Routes: Injection
- Sequence: MAPRGFSCLLLLTSEIDLPVKRRA (unmodified (24 aa; HNG analogue = S14G))
- Safety tier: Strict: Avoid · Balanced: Avoid · Evidence only: Caution
- Risk axes (0 none to 3 severe): Seen harm 0, Mechanism 3, Data gap 3, Silent harm 3, Product 3
- Positive: 43% of 1 graded reports glowing or positive, shrunk toward the 49% all-report average by 8 reports' weight
- Rank: #48 of 61 research peptides
- Graded reports: 1 (Mixed 1)
- Evidence: Animal only
- Access: Grey market
- Onset: Unknown; no human dosing data.
- Lasts: Unknown. The S14G analogue (HNG) is the more potent form used in research and sold by vendors.
- Cost per month: Very expensive: one user paid about $1000 for a humanin and MOTS-c course, and animal-equivalent doses (1 mg/kg/day) would cost hundreds of dollars a day.
- Updated: 2026-10-30

**Why Avoid under the strict bar:** Its anti-apoptotic action helps glioma cells survive chemotherapy in animal studies, and there is no human data.

## What users report

Virtually no first-hand reports; interest comes mainly from PSSD and ME/CFS communities hoping for repair. The one outcome found (long COVID, taken together with MOTS-c, about $1000) describes a wired energy surge strong enough that the user stopped halfway.

**Effects:** none reported in humans

**Downsides:** very expensive at animal-equivalent doses

**Risks:** promotes chemoresistance and survival of glioblastoma cells in vitro and in mouse models; its general anti-apoptotic action could protect nascent tumours; no human dosing or safety data

**Typical use:** No established community dose.

**Getting it:** Sold by some research-peptide vendors as humanin or HNG; never developed as a drug.

**Stacked with:** MOTS-c (The other mitochondrial-derived peptide; the only user outcome found was for the two taken together.)

## Risk profile

- **Seen harm 0/3:** No human has received it in a trial and only one first-hand report exists, so the zero reflects no exposure.
- **Mechanism 3/3:** Exogenous humanin injected into mice with triple-negative breast tumours accelerated tumour growth and lung metastasis and blocked doxorubicin's effect; an analogue also aided glioblastoma chemoresistance in vitro, consistent with its anti-apoptotic action.
- **Data gap 3/3:** No human dosing, pharmacokinetic or safety data; the only human studies measure endogenous levels.
- **Silent harm 3/3:** Protection or acceleration of an undiagnosed tumour would be silent and delayed.
- **Product 3/3:** Grey-market injectable vials sold as humanin or HNG.
- **Never if:** Active cancer or a history of cancer; Undergoing chemotherapy; Pregnancy or breastfeeding (no human reproductive data)

## Top reports

- Mixed, energy: “Super charge energy. Pretty wiry. It felt like it was too powerful for my body at the time so I stopped because I wasn’t convinced it was treating what was wrong. But it was doing a lot” — [r/covidlonghaulers](https://www.reddit.com/r/covidlonghaulers/comments/styrr1/a_possible_role_for_mitochondrialderived_peptides/luwxx99/)

## Studies

- [Hashimoto et al. 2001: a rescue factor abolishing neuronal cell death by familial Alzheimer's disease genes and amyloid-beta](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11371646/) (in-vitro, 2001): The discovery paper; humanin blocked neuronal death caused by several familial Alzheimer's genes and by amyloid-beta in cultured cells.
- [Muzumdar et al. 2009: humanin, a novel central regulator of peripheral insulin action](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19623253/) (animal, 2009): Humanin in the brain, or potent analogues given IV, improved whole-body insulin sensitivity in rats via hypothalamic STAT-3.
- [Miller et al. 2024: humanin variant P3S is associated with longevity in APOE4 carriers](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38520065/) (animal, 2024): A humanin gene variant was enriched in APOE4-carrying centenarians, and the P3S peptide reduced brain amyloid more than ordinary humanin in APOE4 mice.
- [Cancers 2023: mitochondrial peptide humanin facilitates chemoresistance in glioblastoma cells](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10452904/) (in-vitro, 2023): Chemotherapy raised humanin in glioblastoma cells, and humanin helped the tumour cells survive chemotherapy in culture and in mice.
- [Reprod Biol 2026: humanin ameliorates reproductive dysfunction in SSRI-treated male rats](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42480246/) (animal, n=50, 2026): Humanin (1 mg/kg/day) given alongside paroxetine reduced paroxetine-induced sexual dysfunction in rats; treatment after dysfunction had set in (the PSSD question) was not tested.

## Sources

- [Cancers 2023: humanin facilitates chemoresistance in glioblastoma cells](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10452904/)
- [Humanin as therapeutic target in cancer and degenerative diseases (2018 review)](https://doi.org/10.1080/14728222.2019.1559300)