Mitochondrial & antioxidant

MOTS-C

A mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for metabolic control; the biology is new and human trials are tiny.

Anecdotal evidenceNot approvedAdd to compare

What it is

MOTS-C is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA rather than the cell's main genome — one of a small group of mitochondrial-derived peptides. Cells make it themselves and it appears to act as a metabolic signal. Injectable MOTS-C is not approved anywhere and has almost no human data.

How it works

1
Activates AMPK, the cell's energy-sensing switch, in skeletal muscle.
2
Moves into the nucleus under metabolic stress and influences gene expression.
3
Improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in animal studies.
4
Reproduces some effects of exercise in mice, including fat oxidation.
5
Human evidence is largely observational: circulating MOTS-C levels track with insulin sensitivity, but raising them by injection has not been shown to help.

What it's studied for

Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (animal and observational human work)

Obesity and metabolic syndrome

Exercise physiology and ageing research

Vascular and cardiac protection in animal models

Reported and studied effects

Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in mice
Reduced fat mass and higher energy expenditure in animal models
Uncertain effects in people; only very small studies exist

Research protocol notes

Research context only

Research context only — there is no approved protocol and no established human dose. Published animal work used microgram-per-kilogram doses. The 200 microgram to 1 mg daily schedules and multi-week 'build-up' charts sold by vendors come from community use, not clinical research, and syringe units depend entirely on the concentration in the vial.

These figures are described so you can understand what researchers did. They are not a dose, a schedule, or a suggestion — and they are not a substitute for a doctor.

Possible side effects and contraindications

Safety profile

Possible side effects

Reported: headache, nausea, fatigue
Injection-site reactions
No systematic safety data exist
Effects on heart rate and blood pressure are unknown

Contraindications and cautions

Not established
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood
Cardiovascular disease without medical supervision
Prohibited in competitive sport

A side-effect list is never complete, and these are not the only situations that warrant caution. Anything unexpected, or anything you are unsure about, should be discussed with a doctor before use.

Evidence assessment

Anecdotal evidenceNo controlled human data

No controlled human data

The mitochondrial biology is genuinely interesting, but there are no meaningful controlled human trials of administered MOTS-C; human evidence is limited to small observational correlations.

References

References link to published literature, regulator pages or literature indexes. Where a link points to a search, it collects the peer-reviewed work on that molecule rather than a single study.

Compare MOTS-C with another peptide →

Related peptides

Other entries in Mitochondrial & antioxidant.

All Mitochondrial & antioxidant peptides →

Mitochondrial & antioxidant

FOXO4-DRI

A senolytic peptide that clears aged cells in mice; a laboratory tool, not a tested human therapy.

Anecdotal evidenceNot approved

Mitochondrial & antioxidant

Glutathione

The body's main antioxidant tripeptide: biology well established, infused and oral products much less so.

Limited evidenceNot approved

Mitochondrial & antioxidant

Humanin

A mitochondrial peptide studied for cell protection and metabolism; the biology is real, the injected product is not.

Anecdotal evidenceNot approved