Unravelling the role of Humanin

Humanin (HN), a recently identified neuroprotective factor against Alzheimerʹs disease-related insults, has been reported to function as an anti cell-death factor through multiple mechanisms. One mechanism, revealed in a glioblastoma cell line, involves the apoptosis-inducing protein Bax. This, in addition to the fact that HN is produced in certain normal tissues, such as testis, implies a potential role of HN in oncogenesis. A second mechanism, in neuronal cells, is via a putative cell-surface receptor. It is through this mechanism that HN exhibits its neuroprotective activity.