The emerging role of the mitochondrial-derived peptide humanin in stress resistance
- USC Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0191, USA
- (Correspondence should be addressed to P Cohen; Email: hassy{at}usc.edu)
Abstract
The discovery of humanin, a novel, mitochondrial-derived peptide, has created a potentially new category of biologically active peptide. As more research unravels the endogenous role of humanin as well as its potential pharmacological use, its role in stress resistance has become clearer. Humanin protects cells from oxidative stress, serum starvation, hypoxia, and other insults in vitro and also improves cardiovascular disease as well as Alzheimer's disease in vivo. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of humanin in stress resistance and its proposed mechanism of action.
- Revision received 27 November 2012
- Accepted 10 December 2012
- Made available online as an Accepted Preprint 12 December 2012
- © 2013 Society for Endocrinology
