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MOTS-c Direct

A glazed-tile reading panel on the MOTS-c mitochondrial peptide — what the exercise-mimetic and metabolic research actually establishes, and where regulated access and 503A compounding truly stand.

The source behind each numbered note

Which paper supports each MOTS-c finding?

Match a number after a claim to the full paper or FDA record on this page.

Go back to the findingsGet the short answers

How do the numbered notes lead you to a paper?

The first MOTS-c team traced the way cells turn sugar into fuel. Later teams tested cells, mice, exercise, and human blood. Each number after a claim matches one full paper in the source list. That entry gives the paper’s title, writers, journal, and direct link. You can check the exact study behind an amount or result. Read how MOTS-c works in studies for the findings in plain words.

  1. Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG, Sallam T, Martin-Montalvo A, Wan J, Kim SJ, Mehta H, Hevener AL, de Cabo R, Cohen P. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab. 2015;21(3):443-454. ↗
  2. Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, Joly JH, Mitchell CJ, Cameron-Smith D, Lu R, Cohen P, Graham NA, Benayoun BA, Merry TL, Lee C. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):470. ↗
  3. Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA, Lee C. The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress. Cell Metab. 2018;28(3):516-524.e7. ↗
  4. Wan W, Zhang L, Lin Y, Rao X, Wang X, Hua F, Ying J. Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging. J Transl Med. 2023;21(1):36. ↗
  5. D'Souza RF, Woodhead JST, Hedges CP, et al. Increased expression of the mitochondrial derived peptide, MOTS-c, in skeletal muscle of healthy aging men is associated with myofiber composition. Aging (Albany NY). 2020;12(5):5044-5065. ↗
  6. Domin R, Pytka M, Ruchala M. MOTS-c Serum Concentration Positively Correlates with Lower-Body Muscle Strength and Is Not Related to Maximal Oxygen Uptake - A Preliminary Study. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(19):14951. ↗
  7. Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, et al. MOTS-c increases in skeletal muscle following long-term physical activity and improves acute exercise performance after a single dose. Physiol Rep. 2022;10(13):e15377. ↗
  8. Dieli-Conwright CM, Sami N, Norris MK, Wan J, Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Cohen P. Effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on the mitochondrial peptide MOTS-c in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White breast cancer survivors. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):16916. ↗
  9. Zheng Y, Wei Z, Wang T. MOTS-c: A promising mitochondrial-derived peptide for therapeutic exploitation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;14:1120533. ↗
  10. Tekin S, Bir LS, Avci E, et al. Comparison of Serum Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c) Levels in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis and Healthy Controls. Cureus. 2022;14(7):e26981. ↗
  11. Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Miller B, et al. MOTS-c modulates skeletal muscle function by directly binding and activating CK2. iScience. 2024;27(11):111212. ↗
  12. Kim SJ, Miller B, Kumagai H, Silverstein AR, Flores M, Yen K. Mitochondrial-derived peptides in aging and age-related diseases. GeroScience. 2020;43(3):1113-1121. ↗
  13. Bolignano D, Greco M, Presta P, Duni A, et al. The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c May Refine Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Blood Purif. 2024;53(11-12):916-926. ↗
  14. Parseh S, Shakerian S, Tabandeh MR, Habibi A. An 8-week study on the effects of high and moderate-intensity interval exercises on mitochondrial MOTS-C changes and their relation to metabolic markers in male diabetic sand rats. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2024;211:111656. ↗
  15. Fuku N, Pareja-Galeano H, Zempo H, et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c: a player in exceptional longevity? Aging Cell. 2015;14(6):921-923. ↗
  16. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act. FDA, Human Drug Compounding. ↗
  17. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers (503A patient-specific compounding and 503B outsourcing facilities). FDA, Human Drug Compounding. ↗
  18. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (agenda listing BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, and MOTS-c as bulk drug substances being considered for inclusion on the 503A Bulks List). FDA, Advisory Committee Calendar. ↗