MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a short peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA that appears to act as a signalling molecule linking mitochondrial function to whole-body metabolism.
Regulatory status: Not an FDA-approved drug and not marketed as a medicine anywhere. It exists as a research compound sold outside the approved-drug framework.
Default vial
10 mg
Default mix
2 mL
Reported range
5–10 mg
Draw (U-100)
100 u
Mitochondrial-derived peptide; commonly 2–3x weekly or on a fixed interval such as every 5 days, in short blocks.
What it is
- A 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA region, rather than by nuclear DNA.
- First described in 2015 as a metabolic regulator that moves into the nucleus under metabolic stress.
- Studied mainly by subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection in rodents; there are no meaningful oral bioavailability data.
- Recent literature focuses on exercise physiology and metabolic-disease models rather than clinical therapeutics.
How it is described to act
- 1
Injected subcutaneously in the studies that exist; human pharmacokinetic data are sparse.
- 2
Proposed to be taken up by skeletal muscle and other metabolically active tissue, based on rodent biodistribution work.
- 3
Preclinical studies suggest action on the AMPK pathway and nuclear translocation that modulates gene expression under metabolic stress.
- 4
Studied in the context of exercise adaptation, insulin sensitivity and diabetic myocardial fibrosis models — not as an approved therapy.
What the research has looked at
Original characterisation
- Lee et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2015) proposed MOTS-c as a mitochondrial-to-nucleus retrograde signal regulating metabolic homeostasis in mice, reporting reduced obesity and insulin resistance in those models.
Exercise and cardiac models
- A rodent study in Frontiers in Endocrinology reported that combined aerobic exercise and MOTS-c reduced diabetic myocardial fibrosis markers via inhibition of THBS1/TGF-beta signalling.
- Subsequent rodent work has linked MOTS-c administration to improved insulin sensitivity and reduced age-related metabolic dysfunction. All of this remains preclinical.
Strength of evidence: Preclinical evidence only
Nearly all MOTS-c data come from rodent and cell studies; no completed human efficacy trial was located.
What is published comes from cell and animal studies. Findings in those models frequently do not carry over to people.
Reported cautions and unknowns
- No FDA-reviewed human safety data exist, so material sold outside clinical trials has an unknown human safety and impurity profile.
- Because it is not an approved drug, dosing, sterility and long-term effects have not been formally characterised in people.
References
Handling this vial
- Lyophilized vials are generally stored at 2–8 °C and kept out of light; once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after 28 days.
- Mix by aiming water down the vial wall and rolling gently — do not shake — and never re-freeze a reconstituted vial.
- Pep-Tidy cannot verify what is in your vial. Ask your supplier for a current Certificate of Analysis (HPLC/MS).
MOTS-c questions people ask
How do you reconstitute MOTS-c?
A common starting point for a 10 mg vial of MOTS-c is 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 5 mg per mL. Aim the water down the inside wall of the vial, let it dissolve on its own, and roll gently instead of shaking. Pep-Tidy's reconstitution calculator will recalculate the numbers for any other vial size or water volume you use.
How many units of MOTS-c is one dose?
At 5 mg per mL, that works out to about 100 units on a U-100 insulin syringe for a 5000 mcg dose. Change the vial size, water volume, or target dose in the calculator and the syringe reading updates with it. This is arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
What dosing schedule is reported for MOTS-c?
Published and community sources describe 5–10 mg, subcutaneous, every 5 days, typically run 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off. These figures describe what has been reported, not what anyone should take — talk to a licensed clinician first.
How should MOTS-c be stored?
Lyophilized MOTS-c vials are generally kept at 2–8 °C and out of light. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after about 28 days. Never re-freeze a reconstituted vial and never shake it.
Read this before you act on anything above
Everything on this page is a summary of what other people have published — it is not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not a dosing instruction. Reported dose ranges describe what appears in the literature or in community protocols, not what anyone should take. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any peptide.