Longevity · Dosing reference

Humanin dosage

What the human evidence does and does not show, how long studies ran, and the arithmetic for working with vials.

Not approved — research use onlyCPreclinical researchNone established

Full research page Cycle-length evidence Compare Prefer Amiravo on Google

Regulatory status: Not approved — research use only
Human amounts: None established in humans
Route studied: —
Frequency: Not established
Half-life: Not established
Evidence grade: Grade C · Preclinical research
Vial sizes on the market: 10 mg · 20 mg
Other forms seen: —

What Humanin is

Humanin is a small mitochondria-derived peptide, studied in cell and animal research on cytoprotection and metabolic signaling.

Humanin was cloned in 2001 from a screen for cDNAs that protected neuronal cells against death induced by familial Alzheimer's disease mutant genes and amyloid-beta peptides, and was subsequently shown to be translated from a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene ^1,11. In cell-based assays, protection was specific to a defined set of Alzheimer's-relevant insults and was not observed… How it works →

Key evidence

Hashimoto et al., Journal of Neuroscience · 2001 · Cells (cultured neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines)
Humanin suppressed cell death from a range of familial Alzheimer's disease mutant genes and amyloid-beta peptides but not from glutamate or a prion fragment; Cys8, Ser14 and the Pro3-Pro19 region were required for activity. ¹
Ikonen et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2003 · In vitro plus mouse tissue co-immunoprecipitation
Humanin was identified as a high-affinity binding partner of IGFBP-3 at its heparin-binding domain, without competing with IGF-I binding. ²
Zhai et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2005 · In vitro (purified proteins, isolated mitochondria, transfected cells)
Synthetic humanin bound Bid and truncated Bid and blocked truncated-Bid-induced cytochrome c and SMAC release, including from Bax-deficient mitochondria. ³

All studies on the research page

What the human evidence shows

No approved or established human dose

We searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and found no human studies that administered Humanin. The research described on its page is from cells or animals, and animal amounts do not translate to people.

How long did human studies run?

No human study durations are recorded for Humanin.

Cycle-length evidence for Humanin

Humanin draw calculator

Pick the vial strength and the water added, enter an amount, and see the concentration, the units to draw and how many draws the vial holds. Arithmetic only.

1 · Vial strength

sizes on the market

2 · Water added

3 · Amount per draw

4 · Syringe

Your mix

10 mg + 2 mL water = 5 mg/mL

10 units holds 0.5 mg (500 mcg)

Draw toEnter an amount in step 3

U-100 syringe · 100 units = 1 mL

Computed from your inputs. Not a dose or a recommendation.

Compare water volumes for this vialShow

More water = lower concentration = a larger, easier-to-measure draw. Tap a row to use it.

Water	mg/mL	Draw
0.5 mL	20	—
1 mL	10	—
1.5 mL	6.667	—
2 mL	5	—
2.5 mL	4	—
3 mL	3.333	—
5 mL	2	—

Supplies and handling

Lyophilized vial
Sealed vial with the freeze-dried cake. Check the label, lot and the certificate of analysis before opening.
Sterile diluent
The diluent named on the product documentation. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol; sterile water does not.
Graduated syringes
Sized to the volume being measured. U-100 insulin syringes are graduated in units where 100 units = 1 mL.
Alcohol prep pads
For wiping vial stoppers before each puncture.
Nitrile gloves
Clean gloves for aseptic handling.
Sharps container
Puncture-resistant container for used needles.

Step-by-step reconstitution guide Storage and transport accessories

Storage

General research-context handling only: suppliers of lyophilised peptides of this type typically specify long-term storage of the dry powder frozen and protected from light and moisture, with reconstituted material handled as a short-lived solution. Cysteine-containing peptides are prone to oxidation, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles are generally avoided for peptide solutions. Defer to the supplier's own documentation for the specific lot; no handling figures are given here, and nothing in this section should be read as a preparation or administration instruction.

Lyophilized (unmixed) vials: typically stored cold and dry, away from light, as the documentation directs. Many are stable longer frozen.
Reconstituted vials: typically refrigerated (about 2–8 °C), protected from light and not frozen.
Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in multi-use vials; sterile water has no preservative.

Handling mistakes and troubleshooting

Added the wrong volume of diluent: The concentration changes, not the amount of compound in the vial. Recalculate with the volume actually added and relabel the vial.
Shook the vial and it foamed: Let it settle in the refrigerator. Foam is a sign of agitation; some peptides aggregate when shaken. Note it on the label.
The solution is cloudy or has particles: Do not use it. Cloudiness can indicate incomplete dissolution, contamination or degradation. Record the lot and contact the supplier with the certificate of analysis.
The powder cake looks melted or shrunken before reconstitution: This can indicate the vial was exposed to heat or moisture. Record the lot and condition on arrival.
Liquid sprayed back when the needle was removed: Pressure built up in the vial. Withdraw a small volume of air while adding diluent to keep pressure neutral.

Regulatory status

Status: Humanin is not approved by the FDA for any use, and a search of openFDA drug labelling returned no product containing humanin as an active substance ^14. It does not appear in any of the three categories of FDA's 503A bulk drug substances list as updated May 14, 2026 ^17. A ClinicalTrials.gov search identified registered studies that measure humanin as a biomarker in patients, but no registered study in which humanin or an identified humanin analog was administered to humans ^15.
United States (FDA): There is no approved FDA application for humanin; an openFDA drug-labelling search for humanin as a substance name returned no matches ^14. Humanin does not appear in FDA's 503A bulk drug substances list (Category 1 under evaluation, Category 2 raising significant safety concerns, or Category 3 nominated without adequate support) as updated May 14, 2026 ^17.
Sport (WADA): Humanin is not named anywhere in the WADA 2026 Prohibited List ^13. Absence of a name is not a clearance: the S2 class is introduced with the words "The following substances, and other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s), are prohibited", each S2 subclass is prefaced "Including, but not limited to", and the S0 Non-Approved Substances class states that "Any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use (e.g. drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development or discontinued, designer drugs, substances approved only for veterinary use) is prohibited at all times" ^13. Notably, a different mitochondrial-derived peptide, MOTS-c, is named by WADA under S4.4.1 among "Activators of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)"; humanin is not ^13. Athletes should seek a ruling from their anti-doping organisation rather than infer status from absence.

Status varies by country and changes over time. How we describe regulatory status.

Humanin compared with related compounds

Compound	Status	Evidence	Human amounts	Half-life
Humanin	Not approved — research use only	C	None established	—
Cerebrolysin	Approved outside the US	A	Ex-US label	Not directly measurable (peptide mixture
Methylene Blue	FDA-approved	A	FDA label	Approximately 24 hours
L-Glutathione	Not approved — research use only	B	None established	—
Epithalon	Not approved — research use only	C	None established	—
N-Acetyl Epithalon Amidate	Not approved — research use only	—	None established	—

Frequently asked questions

What doses of Humanin have been studied in humans?

None that establish an amount. Humanin is not approved anywhere and we found no human studies that administered it. Amiravo does not publish community or vendor figures.

Is there an established Humanin cycle length?

No. We found no human studies that report treatment duration for Humanin.

How much bacteriostatic water should be added to a Humanin vial?

There is no compound-specific volume. The diluent volume only sets the concentration: concentration = mass in the vial ÷ volume added (for example, 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL). The calculator on this page shows the arithmetic for any combination.

How many units is a given amount on an insulin syringe?

On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. Units for an amount = amount ÷ (concentration per unit). The calculator converts any amount you enter at the concentration you choose; a unit is a volume mark, not an amount of compound.

Is Humanin FDA-approved?

Not approved — research use only. Humanin is not approved by the FDA for any use, and a search of openFDA drug labelling returned no product containing humanin as an active substance ^14. It does not appear in any of the three categories of FDA's 503A bulk drug substances list as updated May 14, 2026 ^17. A ClinicalTrials.gov search identified registered studies that measure humanin as a biomarker in patients, but no registered study in which humanin or an identified humanin analog was administered to humans ^15.

References

Detailed characterization of neuroprotection by a rescue factor humanin against various Alzheimer's disease-relevant insults Journal of Neuroscience. 2001
Interaction between the Alzheimer's survival peptide humanin and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 regulates cell survival and apoptosis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2003
Humanin binds and nullifies Bid activity by blocking its activation of Bax and Bak Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2005
Humanin and the receptors for humanin Molecular Neurobiology. 2010
Identification of soluble WSX-1 not as a dominant-negative but as an alternative functional subunit of a receptor for an anti-Alzheimer's disease rescue factor Humanin Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2009
Humanin: a novel central regulator of peripheral insulin action PLoS ONE. 2009
Circulating humanin levels are associated with preserved coronary endothelial function American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2013
Acute endurance exercise stimulates circulating levels of mitochondrial-derived peptides in humans Journal of Applied Physiology. 2021
Disease-specific plasma levels of mitokines FGF21, GDF15, and Humanin in type II diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in comparison with healthy aging GeroScience. 2021
Evaluation of Serum Humanin and MOTS-c Peptide Levels in Patients with COVID-19 and Healthy Subjects Current Protein and Peptide Science. 2023
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance Cell Metabolism. 2015
Humanin: Functional Interfaces with IGF-I Growth Hormone & IGF Research. 2016
World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026 WADA. 2026
openFDA drug label search for humanin as substance name (no matches) FDA openFDA API. 2026
ClinicalTrials.gov search for studies naming humanin (biomarker studies only; e.g. NCT03431844, Humanin Isoforms in Cardiac Muscle and Blood Plasma) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026
Role of humanin, a mitochondrial-derived peptide, in cardiovascular disorders Archives of Cardiovascular Diseases. 2020
Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (updated May 14, 2026) FDA. 2026

Last reviewed October 22, 2026 by the Amiravo editorial team. Editorial policy · Report an error