SHLP2_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as small humanin-like peptide 2, SHLP-2, SHLP 2
A mitochondrial peptide with real published biology and no human dosing behind it.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is SHLP2?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
A mitochondrial peptide with better published science than most things on this shelf, and still no human study of taking it. The research is in cells and mice.
SHLP2, a mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by a small open reading frame within the MT-RNR2 16S rRNA region. Reported to signal through CXCR7 and to bind mitochondrial complex 1. Preclinical data covers insulin sensitisation, POMC neuron activation, and cytoprotection in retinal and neuronal cell models. No human administration study has been published.
What it's used for
A mitochondrial peptide researched for insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function and aging.
How does SHLP2 work?
What it does in the body, and where.SHLP2 comes from the same discovery program as humanin and MOTS-c, both of which this library already covers.
- 01It is encoded inside mitochondrial DNAThe Cohen lab at USC searched the 16S rRNA region of the mitochondrial genome for small open reading frames and found six, named SHLP1 to SHLP6, ranging from 20 to 38 amino acids.
- 02It binds a receptor, which most peptides in this category cannot claimA 2023 Nature Communications paper identified CXCR7 as the receptor SHLP2 activates, and reported that giving it to mice on a high-fat diet protected against obesity and improved insulin sensitivity through POMC neurons in the hypothalamus.
- 03It also binds mitochondrial complex 1Reported to increase respiration, reduce reactive oxygen species and raise levels of oxidative phosphorylation subunits in cell models.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Insulin sensitivity and metabolic healthEarly research
- Mitochondrial protection, including in macular degeneration cell modelsEarly research
- Neuroprotection, including a Parkinson's disease variant findingEarly research
- Anti-aging generally, which is the marketing framenone
The published record
Papers and trials about SHLP2
16 papers tagged human · 8 not reviews or lab · 0 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: No clinical trial on record
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count.
At a glance
Four things to know about SHLP2
Evidence
Category
Longevity and energy
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Nothing published
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Research only, not established. Not established No range
No schedule has been studied for this compound in people.
Nothing publishedNo figure
No half-life has been published for SHLP2. Pharmacokinetic work in this family has been done on humanin and its analogs, and those figures belong to humanin.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized SHLP2 keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Solubility, computed: 19% charged residues, 54% hydrophobic. Organic co-solvent likely.
A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.
Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Active cancer, as a precaution with anything affecting cell survival signaling
- Anyone who wants established safety data, because none exists for this compound in humans
Stop and get help
- Signs of an allergic reaction, including spreading hives, facial or throat swelling, or trouble breathing
- Redness, heat, or pus at the injection site, which can signal infection
- Anything unusual, since there is no known safety profile to compare it against
Common effects
- Unknown. No study has recorded what this commonly causes in people
- Redness, soreness, or a small bump at the injection site
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is SHLP2 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. SHLP2 is not approved for any use, anywhere. It is sold labeled for laboratory research only, and there is no legal route to buy it for human use.
- Approval statusResearch only
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- Checked24 August 2026
- DoseFrom community reports. No regulator or trial established this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesNone traced yet.
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like SHLP2?
Others in Longevity and energy, side by side.If you're weighing SHLP2, it's worth reading SHLP6, Urolithin A, and NAD+ in the same class.
A mitochondrial peptide with real published biology and no human dosing behind it.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Not established
The sibling of SHLP2, and the one reported to shut blood vessel growth down.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Not established
The mitophagy supplement with two real trials, both of which missed.
- Dose
- 500 up to 1,000 mg per day
- How often
- Daily
A cellular fuel taken for energy, focus, and anti-aging.
- Dose
- 50 up to 100 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 2-3x/week
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence
Beyond these, 28 records are indexed. Browse the records