Mitochondria-derived peptides in aging and healthspan.
Miller. Brendan B; Kim. Su-Jeong SJ; Kumagai. Hiroshi H; Yen. Kelvin K; Cohen. Pinchas P
Key Findings
- Mitochondrial DNA produces small peptides (MDPs) such as humanin that act as signaling molecules.
- Humanin and related MDPs have been linked to improved metabolic function, neuroprotection, and longevity in animal studies.
- Researchers see MDPs as potential drug targets for conditions like type‑2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, the take‑away is that humanin is a promising anti‑aging molecule to monitor, but concrete dosing or supplement protocols aren’t established yet. Stay tuned for upcoming human trials and consider the broader context of mitochondrial health when experimenting with related interventions.
Summary
This review explains that tiny proteins made by mitochondria, like humanin, may help protect cells and influence aging, metabolism, and brain health, pointing to new ways to tackle age‑related diseases.
Abstract
The mechanisms that explain mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and healthspan continue to be studied, but one element has been unexplored: microproteins. Small open reading frames in circular mitochondria DNA can encode multiple microproteins, called mitochondria-derived peptides (MDPs). Currently, eight MDPs have been published: humanin, MOTS-c, and SHLPs 1-6. This Review describes recent advances in microprotein discovery with a focus on MDPs. It discusses what is currently known about MDPs in aging and how this new understanding could add to the way we understand age-related diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases at the genomic, proteomic, and drug-development levels.
Study Information
pubmed
2022
2022-05-02T00:00:00.000Z
10.1172/jci158449