MOTS-c: what the evidence shows

What the human research shows

Genuinely interesting biology at the frontier of a new class — mitochondria turn out to encode signalling peptides — and zero human intervention evidence. The observational human work measures MOTS-c that people already have; it says nothing about injecting more.

Evidence profile0–5

Metabolic & weightD0.0
Cardiovascular—0.0
Muscle & growthD0.0
Healing & repair—0.0
Neuro & sleep—0.0
Immune & inflammation—0.0
Sexual & hormonal—0.0
Skin & appearance—0.0
Ageing & longevityD0.0

No benefit outcome for MOTS-c has both human evidence and a measurable effect, so the profile is empty. That is the finding, not a gap in the chart.

Outcome	Grade	Effect size	Human studies	Where the evidence comes from
Insulin sensitivity / metabolic health	DNo human evidence	Not measurable	0 controlled	Mouse models of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Human data is observational — levels correlate with fitness and fall with age — which cannot show what supplementation would do.
Exercise capacity	DNo human evidence	Not measurable	0 controlled	Rodent exercise models; human correlation studies only.
Longevity	DNo human evidence	Not measurable	None	Association studies of a mitochondrial variant in a Japanese cohort; not an intervention.
Safety in humansadverse	DNo human evidence	Not measurable	None	No human dosing study of any kind.

AMultiple good human trials, consistentBSome human trials, mostly consistentCFew or weak human studiesDAnimal or anecdotal onlyeffect size · red = adverse

Literature searched to 2 September 2026. Human studies only; animal and cell work informs the mechanism section and nothing else.

Registered trials

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 interventional study naming MOTS-c as an intervention, 1 recruiting, and none with results posted to the registry.

A registration is not a result. Anyone can register a study, and many never report — so this list shows what has been attempted, not what has been shown. The graded evidence above is the answer to whether something works.

Study	Phase	Status	Participants	Sponsor	Results
MOTS-c for Improving Insulin Sensitivity in Adults With Prediabetes and Overweight/ObesityNCT07505745 · started Feb 2026	Phase 2	Recruiting	120*	Hudson Biotech	None

Participant counts marked * are the sponsor's estimate, not a final enrolment. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, read directly from the registry and refreshed weekly.

What it is

For most of modern biology, mitochondrial DNA was thought to encode only a handful of proteins for energy production. MOTS-c, identified in 2015, is one of a small group of peptides encoded there that act as signals to the rest of the cell — and to other tissues. That is a genuinely novel finding, and it is why the compound gets attention.

The distance between that finding and "inject this" is the entire clinical development process, none of which has been done.

How it is thought to work

It appears to activate AMPK, a cellular energy sensor, and to shift metabolism toward glucose use — in mouse muscle. Human blood levels are lower in older and less fit people, which is an association, not a mechanism established in people.

What is still unknown

Whether administering it does anything in a human being.
Dose, route, half-life and safety in humans — none established.
Whether the age-related decline is a cause of anything or a consequence.

The molecule and how long it lasts

Identity

Formula: C101H152N28O22S2
Molecular weight: 2174.6 g/mol
CAS number: 1627580-64-6
PubChem: CID 146675088

PubChem record, read 23 September 2026.

Pharmacokinetics

Route: Injected as sold; no human administration study
Half-life: No human pharmacokinetic data

No pharmacokinetic study in people.

Regulatory status

European Union

Unauthorised medicinal product

No marketing authorisation in any member state. Supplying it for human use is an offence under national medicines law; 'research use only' labels do not change that.

United States

Not approved; compounding under review

Removed from FDA's Category 2 list on 22 April 2026; the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended it for the 503A bulks list in July 2026 (7–5, 2 abstentions). Not on the list yet and not an approved drug. Sold otherwise as an unapproved 'research chemical'.

United Kingdom

Unlicensed medicine

Not licensed by the MHRA. Selling or supplying it is an offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012; importing a small quantity purely for personal use is not itself an offence, but consignments are seized.

Australia

Schedule 4, unapproved

Prescription-only substance not on the ARTG. Possession without a prescription is an offence; imports without a prescription are seized.

Canada

Not authorised

No Drug Identification Number; selling it is illegal. Residents cannot import prescription drugs by mail.

Sport (WADA)

Prohibited at all times

S4.4.1 metabolic modulators: MOTS-c named. Sport Integrity Australia lists it among common prohibited peptides.

Questions people actually ask

Does MOTS-c improve metabolism in humans?

Unknown. The metabolic effects are from mouse studies. Human research so far measures naturally occurring MOTS-c levels; it has never been given to people in a controlled trial.

Why do people say it is linked to longevity?

A mitochondrial variant affecting MOTS-c has been associated with longevity in a Japanese cohort. That is an association in people who inherited it, not a result of taking anything.

One page per claimed effect

DDoes MOTS-c help with insulin sensitivity / metabolic health?0 controlled
DDoes MOTS-c help with exercise capacity?0 controlled
DDoes MOTS-c help with longevity?None
DHow common is safety in humans with MOTS-c?None

References

1
Lee C, et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance.Cell Metab, 2015;21:443–454The discovery paper; mouse models.

Change log

2026-09-02Initial publication. All outcomes graded D on absence of human intervention trials.