Furthermore, in cell lines with the 3243 MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes syndrome) mutation, humanin levels were inversely correlated with the percent of mutated mitochondria (Figure 4B), suggesting that humanin could be a marker of the mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs with increasing age. This evidence concerns the gene MT-RNR2 and Encephalopathy.