MOTS-c is being studied in people, but we did not identify a published human treatment trial showing that giving MOTS-c provides an established health benefit. Most benefit claims still depend on preclinical evidence.
Still uncertain: Human metabolic benefit, therapeutic dose, long-term safety or performance benefit.
By confirming your subscription, you agree to receive occasional WhichPeps Evidence Updates. Kit processes the signup and email delivery for WhichPeps. Privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
What does the evidence mean in simple terms? table
What is it?
Mitochondrial-derived 16-amino-acid peptide
Entity type
Peptide
Research focus
Metabolism, exercise physiology, ageing biology
Human evidence
Human studies show endogenous MOTS-c biology during exercise, and a genuine randomized Phase 2a trial of administered subcutaneous MOTS-c is recruiting in adults with prediabetes and overweight/obesity; no efficacy results are posted yet.
Regulatory status
Not FDA-approved; FDA highlights absence of human drug-product exposure data.
Main limitations
Human metabolic efficacy, therapeutic dose, chronic safety or performance benefit.
Safety
Human drug safety, immunogenicity and long-term exposure are unknown.
Evidence reviewed
2026-09-18
i
Human studies show endogenous MOTS-c biology during exercise, and a genuine randomized Phase 2a trial of administered subcutaneous MOTS-c is recruiting in adults with prediabetes and overweight/obesity; no efficacy results are posted yet.
Outcome-level evidence
Evidence is not one score.
Each record below answers a narrower question about an outcome, population or context. Evidence status and the study finding are shown separately so strong evidence is not mistaken for a positive effect.
Human drug safety, immunogenicity and long-term exposure are unknown.
There is no established human therapeutic safety profile for exogenous MOTS-c; immunogenicity, peptide impurities and product-quality risks remain relevant.
Technical details
Mechanism / biologyMitochondrial-derived peptide implicated in cellular stress responses, metabolism and AMPK-related signalling.
Route / formulation boundaryEndogenous exercise-induced MOTS-c measurements are not evidence that injected MOTS-c is effective or safe.
Identity / data-quality noteUse the canonical compound identity and studied formulation when interpreting evidence.
Study / label regimen evidenceStudy-regimen evidence reviewed. No controlled exogenous human administration regimen identified; human studies largely measure endogenous MOTS-c rather than administering it as a drug.
WhichPeps does not rely on a single headline study when the evidence base is broader. Primary research, registries, regulators and supporting records are kept distinct.
3structured study records
3outcome records
7linked source records
How to read these counts: they show evidence coverage, not evidence strength. One large, well-designed study can be more informative than several weak or indirect records.
Show supporting and discovery sources
Study pages above contain the records used for public evidence summaries. The links below include supporting, regulatory and literature-discovery sources; a registry or search result is not treated as proof of benefit.
Evidence rule: WhichPeps keeps human, animal, laboratory, regulatory and product/formulation evidence distinct. Common names help people find the page; they do not change the underlying scientific identity.
