Humanin, a tiny protein made by mitochondria, can protect cells, improve insulin sensitivity, and even reduce heart scarring in mice, but new data show it also makes aging cells release more inflammatory signals. This mixed effect means it might help healthy cells while possibly making senescent cells more noticeable to the immune system or more vulnerable to senolytic drugs, but it could also boost inflammation if used alone. For DIY health enthusiasts, the take‑home is that humanin isn’t a simple anti‑aging supplement and should be used carefully, especially if you’re targeting senescent cells.

Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs), encoded by mitochondrial DNA, play a cytoprotective role by helping preserve mitochondrial function and cell viability under stressful conditions. Humanin and its homologs and MOTS-c are two of several MDPs hypothesized to have antiaging activity based on correlative studies. For example, humanin plasma levels are inversely correlated with growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 expression, which may promote accelerated aging. Humanin has been shown to protect cells from beta amyloid toxicity and preserve endothelial cell function in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, both humanin and MOTS-c improve insulin sensitivity in mouse models of type 2 diabetes. Recently it was reported that a potent analogue of humanin blocks cardiac fibrosis in aging mice. Although it has been hypothesized that MDPs might have senolytic activity, in a recent report humanin and MOTS-c both exacerbate the senescence-associated-secretory-phenotype (SASP) in senescent cells by stimulating the secretion of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor α. It appears that the cytoprotective activity of the MDPs may be permissive for increased expression of a set of proinflammatory cytokines. Given the potential benefits of MDPs in many of the same diseases associated with the presence of senescent cells, a combination of senolytic and MDP-based treatments may be additive or synergistic. The MDPs would protect normal cells, whereas senescent cells would be eliminated by the senolytic therapy. It is even possible that MDPs by increasing the SASP phenotype would make the senescent cells more apt to be cleared by the immune system or more sensitive to senolytics. In contrast, if the MDPs actually cytoprotect the senescent cells, then the treatment can be performed serially with the senolytic used first.