Humanin
HN, MT-RNR2 peptide, HNG (S14G-humanin)
- Common dose
- No tested dose
- Cycle
- No set cycle
- Vial sizes
- Not established
A 24-amino-acid peptide encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, within the gene for the 16S ribosomal RNA (MT-RNR2). Cells release it under stress, and in animals it protects cells and improves insulin sensitivity.
Status
- Approval
- Not approved as a drug in the US or EU, or anywhere else. It is sold as a research peptide.
- US compounding
- Never nominated for pharmacy compounding, so it appears on neither FDA’s Category 1 nor Category 2 bulk substance lists (April 2026 snapshot).
- Sport (WADA 2026)
- Likely banned in sportNot named on the 2026 list. MOTS-c, the other mitochondrial-derived peptide, is named under S4.4.1 as an AMPK activator, but humanin is not. With no approval by any health authority it falls under S0, non-approved substances, banned at all times.
Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026. Status of every compound.
How it works
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid peptide written in mitochondrial DNA; cells release it under stress. In cells and animals it binds a three-part receptor on the cell surface, built from the CNTF receptor, WSX-1 and gp130, and switches on the STAT3 signal; inside the cell it blocks Bax, a protein that punches holes in mitochondria to start cell death. Infused into rat brain or blood, it improved insulin action through the hypothalamus.
AnimalMainly from cell and animal studies; not shown in people.
Not known
No one has been given humanin, so nothing about it has been measured in a person. In people its blood level is highest in the oldest, which does not fit the idea of replacing something that falls with age.
Protocol
No dose has been tested in people; amounts quoted online vary widely and trace back to no study.
- Frequency
- Not established
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection (community). No published human study has given it by any route.
- Cycle
- No established cycle.
No set cycle, shown over 26 weeks
Taking it
Where it goes
No human study has given humanin by any route, so there is no studied site, depth or volume. Community use is subcutaneous injection with rotating sites.
If you miss a dose
No published guidance, and no established schedule to miss.
What to expect
- In people
Nothing is established. Humanin has only ever been measured in blood, muscle and tissue samples, never given.
Community - In animals
Giving humanin improved insulin sensitivity in animal models of diabetes.
Animal
Side effects and what to do
Unknown: no side effect has ever been reported in a person given humanin
Nobody has been given it in a published study, so an empty list means nothing is known, not that nothing happens.
Unknown effect on blood sugar
The animal work is about insulin sensitivity, so anyone on diabetes medicines would be guessing at the interaction.
Allergic reactions, as with any injected peptide
Hives, swelling or wheezing after a dose needs emergency care.
Injection-site pain, redness or infection (unregulated vials)
Use sterile technique. Spreading redness, heat or pus needs medical care.
Hives, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing after an injection: stop and get medical help.
Who should avoid it
No product label covers humanin, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Most important first.
- Anyone with active or past cancer
- PrecautionIn mice with triple-negative breast cancer, giving humanin protected tumor cells, blunted chemotherapy and sped growth and lung spread; reviews call its role in cancer unresolved.
- Anyone taking glucose-lowering drugs
- PrecautionThe animal work is about improving insulin action, so low blood sugar alongside insulin or similar drugs is plausible. Nothing has been measured in people.
- Anyone relying on product quality
- PrecautionNot an approved drug, so there is no standard for identity, purity or sterility, and two different peptides, humanin and HNG, are sold under this name.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- PrecautionNo human safety data exist.
Interactions
Precaution: follows from how it works or from a related drug, and hasn’t been tested. This isn’t a complete list: a pharmacist or doctor can check a specific medicine or condition.
Tracking and pairing
Worth tracking
- No monitoring plan has been studied
- Fasting glucose (where the animal work points)
Often paired with
- MOTS-c
Both are peptides encoded in mitochondrial DNA and are sold as a pair. Neither has been given to people in a published study, and the combination has never been tested.
Human studies
No published human studies of humanin turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.
Limits of the evidence
Nobody has been given humanin or HNG in a published study, by any route. The human evidence is measurement only: blood levels across 693 people aged 21 to 113, and muscle levels after 12 weeks of resistance training in men with prediabetes. Everything else is cells, mice and rats, much of it short-term, and no clinical trial is registered.
How it’s supplied
Datasheet
- Half-life
- No reliable value has been published.
- Type
- Peptide, 24 amino acids
- Molecular weight
- 2,687.2 g/mol
- Formula
- C119H204N34O32S2
- Sequence
- MAPRGFSCLLLLTSEIDLPVKRRAHNG, or S14G-humanin, replaces the serine at position 14 with glycine
- Storage before use
- Freezer (about −20 °C) for long-term storage, kept dry and away from light.
- After mixing or opening
- Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks.
- Molecule: PubChem CID 16131438 (humanin, CAS 330936-69-1, UNII H975EUX36G); the formula and weight recomputed from this sequence match the record
- Storage: Community Common research-peptide practice; no approved label exists for this peptide
Every compound side by side: the half-life chart and the storage chart.
Cautions
- Never given to a person in a published study, so there is no dose, no schedule and no safety record.
- Two different peptides are sold under this name: humanin itself, and HNG, also written S14G-humanin, the same chain with one amino acid swapped and reported to be more active in animals. A vial can be either, and the label may not say.
- In people, blood humanin is higher in old age and highest in centenarians, so the idea of replacing a peptide that falls with age does not match the human measurements.
- Not named on any doping list, but with no approval anywhere it falls under WADA’s S0 rule for non-approved substances.
Questions
What is humanin?
A 24-amino-acid peptide encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, within the gene for the 16S ribosomal RNA (MT-RNR2). Cells release it under stress, and in animals it protects cells and improves insulin sensitivity.
How does humanin work?
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid peptide written in mitochondrial DNA; cells release it under stress. In cells and animals it binds a three-part receptor on the cell surface, built from the CNTF receptor, WSX-1 and gp130, and switches on the STAT3 signal; inside the cell it blocks Bax, a protein that punches holes in mitochondria to start cell death. Infused into rat brain or blood, it improved insulin action through the hypothalamus. No one has been given humanin, so nothing about it has been measured in a person. In people its blood level is highest in the oldest, which does not fit the idea of replacing something that falls with age.
Is humanin FDA-approved?
Not approved as a drug in the US or EU, or anywhere else. It is sold as a research peptide. Never nominated for pharmacy compounding, so it appears on neither FDA’s Category 1 nor Category 2 bulk substance lists (April 2026 snapshot).
What is the usual humanin dose?
From community reports, not established: No dose has been tested in people; amounts quoted online vary widely and trace back to no study. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.
Who should avoid humanin?
No product label covers humanin, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Anyone with active or past cancer: In mice with triple-negative breast cancer, giving humanin protected tumor cells, blunted chemotherapy and sped growth and lung spread; reviews call its role in cancer unresolved. Anyone taking glucose-lowering drugs: The animal work is about improving insulin action, so low blood sugar alongside insulin or similar drugs is plausible. Nothing has been measured in people. Anyone relying on product quality: Not an approved drug, so there is no standard for identity, purity or sterility, and two different peptides, humanin and HNG, are sold under this name. The “Who should avoid it” section lists 1 more group.
How should humanin be stored?
Before mixing: Freezer (about −20 °C) for long-term storage, kept dry and away from light. After mixing: Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks. This is common practice; no product label covers it.
Is humanin banned in sport?
Probably. Not named on the 2026 list. MOTS-c, the other mitochondrial-derived peptide, is named under S4.4.1 as an AMPK activator, but humanin is not. With no approval by any health authority it falls under S0, non-approved substances, banned at all times.
Has humanin been studied in people?
No published human studies turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.
Sources
- Conte et al., human aging and longevity are characterized by high levels of mitokines (J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2019) PMID 29955888
- Gidlund et al., humanin in skeletal muscle after resistance training (Physiol Rep 2016) PMID 27923980
- PubChem CID 16131438, humanin
For the protocol details
- Voigt and Jelinek, plasma humanin and impaired fasting glucose (Physiol Rep 2016) PMID 27173674
- Kariya et al., humanin in skeletal muscle of MELAS patients (Acta Neuropathol 2005) PMID 15759134
For how it works, who should avoid it and the limits of the evidence
- Guo et al., humanin suppresses apoptosis by interfering with Bax activation (Nature 2003) PMID 12732850
- Hashimoto et al., humanin acts through a CNTF receptor, WSX-1 and gp130 complex (Mol Biol Cell 2009) PMID 19386761
- Muzumdar et al., humanin as a central regulator of peripheral insulin action in rodents (PLoS One 2009) PMID 19623253
- Moreno Ayala et al., humanin promotes tumor progression in experimental triple negative breast cancer (Sci Rep 2020) PMID 32444831
- Zuccato et al., humanin as a therapeutic target in cancer and degenerative diseases (Expert Opin Ther Targets 2019) PMID 30582721
Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.