Mitochondrial-derived peptide humanin as therapeutic target in cancer and degenerative diseases.
Zuccato. Camila Florencia CF; Asad. Antonela Sofia AS; Nicola Candia. Alejandro Javier AJ; Gottardo. María Florencia MF; Moreno Ayala. Mariela Alejandra MA; Theas. María Susana MS; Seilicovich. Adriana A; Candolfi. Marianela M
Key Findings
- Humanin protects cells from many harmful stresses in lab experiments
- It shows promise as a treatment target for neuro‑degenerative, cardiovascular, metabolic, fertility, and some cancer conditions
- Humanin levels can be measured in blood, making it a potential biomarker
- Analogues and gene‑therapy approaches improve outcomes in animal models, but human data are lacking
- There’s controversy about whether humanin may aid cancer growth or chemoresistance
Practical Outcomes
- For now, biohackers should view humanin as a promising research target rather than a supplement to try. Tracking circulating humanin could become a useful biomarker for health status in the future, but any dosing or therapy is still experimental and may carry unknown cancer‑related risks.
Summary
Humanin is a tiny protein made by mitochondria that helps protect cells from stress and damage. Scientists have found it can improve outcomes in animal studies for brain, heart, diabetes, fertility, and possibly cancer, and it can be measured in blood as a health marker. However, most of the work is still in labs, and there’s debate about whether it might also help tumors grow or resist chemo, so it’s not ready for DIY use yet.
Abstract
Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) are encoded within the mitochondrial genome. They signal within the cell or are released to act as autocrine/paracrine/endocrine cytoprotective factors playing a key role in the cellular stress response. The first reported and better characterized MDP is humanin (HN), which exerts robust protective effects against a myriad of cytotoxic stimuli in many cell types. These effects have led to the evaluation of HN and its analogs as therapeutic targets for several chronic diseases. Areas covered: We describe the latest findings on the mechanism of action of HN and discuss the role of HN as therapeutic target for neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, male infertility, and cancer. Since HN can be detected in circulation, we also depict its value as a biomarker for these diseases. Expert opinion: HN analogs and peptide mimetics have been developed over the last decade and show promising results in preclinical models of degenerative diseases. Local administration of gene therapy vectors that overexpress or silence endogenous HN could also hold therapeutic potential. Controversy on the role of HN in cancer progression and chemoresistance should be addressed before the translation of these therapeutic approaches.
Study Information
pubmed
2018
2018-12-24T00:00:00.000Z
10.1080/14728222.2019.1559300
38
117