The emerging role of the mitochondrial-derived peptide humanin in stress resistance

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 insultsin vitroand also improves cardiovascular disease as well as Alzheimer's diseasein vivo. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of humanin in stress resistance and its proposed mechanism of action.