Compound hub
MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA and first described by Lee et al. in Cell Metabolism in 2015. This hub collects the questions people ask about it and answers each one from published studies, trial registries and regulator documents.
Record card
| Common name | MOTS-c |
|---|---|
| Full name | mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c |
| Length | 16 amino acids |
| Sequence | MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR |
| CAS (database identifier) | 1627580-64-6 |
| Discovery year | 2015 |
| Trial phase as of 14 October 2026 | Phase 2a (NCT07505745), recruiting |
| FDA-approved drug containing MOTS-c | None (FDA briefing document, 11 May 2026) |
Questions answered here
05- What is MOTS-c studied for? What published studies have foundMOTS-c is an experimental peptide studied in cells and mice since 2015. What the studies found, what they did not, and where human data stand as of October 2026.Updated 2026-10-14
- MOTS-c half-life: what has been measured?No MOTS-c half-life in people was found in the sources searched for this page. What FDA reviewers, trial records and laboratory studies report about time in the body, as of 14 October 2026.Updated 2026-10-14
- Is MOTS-c available in Australia? TGA, FDA and WADA recordsWhat the TGA, the Poisons Standard, the FDA and WADA say about MOTS-c, with the date each record was checked. Records only; this is not legal advice.Updated 2026-10-14
- MOTS-c side effects: what studies and trials have recordedMOTS-c side effects and safety: what the one human trial of a MOTS-c analogue recorded, what the FDA says, and what cell and mouse studies found. No safety profile for MOTS-c itself was found in the sources searched.Updated 2026-10-14
- What is MOTS-c? The mitochondrial peptide explained from the researchWhat MOTS-c is: a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, how it was found, what studies in cells, mice and people have reported, and where the evidence stops.Updated 2026-10-14
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