Humanin- Humanin is a small peptide that is produced in the mitochondria of cells and has several
biological functions:
Structure
Humanin is a 24 amino acid peptide with a three-turn a-helix structure
Production
Humanin is encoded in the mitochondrial genome by the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, MT-RNR2
Function
Humanin has neuroprotective and cytoprotective effects, and can regulate biological functions
Diseases
Humanin levels are decreased in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, MELAS, and stroke. Humanin has
also shown to be beneficial in other disease models, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
diabetes mellitus
Therapeutic potential
Humanin analogs have been proposed as a therapeutic approach for degenerative diseases.
Humanin is secreted outside of the cell, but it can also return to the mitochondria to target itself. It can
directly influence mitochondrial activity, boost the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and
control pathways that lead to cell death.