Humanin vs MOTS-c
The two founding mitochondrial-derived peptides, graded the same way. Humanin's preclinical work is cytoprotective and neuronal; MOTS-c's is metabolic and muscular. Neither has human outcome trials.
Humanin
A genuine cytoprotective mitochondrial-derived peptide whose levels fall with age — but no randomized human trial shows that taking it does anything for people.
Full Humanin evidence reviewMOTS-c
A genuine mitochondrial-derived peptide with interesting rodent data on metabolism and exercise — but no human outcome trials.
Full MOTS-c evidence reviewSide by side
| Humanin | MOTS-c | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketed for | Longevity, metabolic health | Metabolism, endurance, longevity |
| Evidence grade | Preclinical / minimal | Preclinical / minimal |
| Family | Mitochondrial / longevity | Mitochondrial / longevity |
| Regulatory status | Not FDA-approved | Not FDA-approved |
| How it's obtained | Research-only | Research-only |
| Key human source | Hashimoto, PNAS 2001 | Lee, Cell Metab 2015 |
marks a row where the two differ. Evidence grades come from our evidence matrix, which grades each molecule on the human data for the use it is marketed for.
Our verdict
Both sit in the same preclinical tier, and neither has an adequately powered randomized, placebo-controlled human trial for anything it is marketed for. Humanin was the first mitochondrial-derived peptide ever described, though much of its supportive literature uses the more potent engineered analog HNG rather than the native peptide; MOTS-c has the more developed metabolic and exercise story, again in rodents. The human data on both are observational, mainly that circulating levels fall with age, which is a reason to keep studying them and not evidence that injecting them helps. There is no winner to declare here, and both reach buyers as research-only injectables of unverified identity, dose, and purity.
Humanin fits if
Humanin is the better read if your interest is cytoprotection and the neuronal discovery story, provided you note how much of the literature is really about the HNG analog.
MOTS-c fits if
MOTS-c is the closer fit if your interest is metabolic and exercise biology, where the rodent AMPK-pathway work is the most developed part of the field.