RUO · Research Use OnlyFor LongMitochondrial-encoded+1 more★ Popular

MOTS-c

A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA — one of the first ever found. We read all 60 studies. The protocol is below.

Updated 19 May 2026Read 11 minEvidence ●●○○○Citations 60

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Free — puts MOTS-c on your decision board.

The MOTS-c Report · $19

Everything you need to start: dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict.

One purchase · yours forever

Built from 60 cited studies.

Status

Research-only

Class

For Long

Evidence

2/ 5●●○○○

Completed RCTs (native MOTS-c)

$19 ↓

Discontinued analog program (CB4211)

$19 ↓

Mouse studies

$19 ↓

Read this if

you're a Peter Attia reader wearing a CGM and watching your fasting insulin
you've fallen into the mitochondrial-derived-peptide corner of the longevity literature
you're an athlete chasing endurance gains on the strength of the running-mouse paper

Skip this if

you saw "MOTS-c human trial" cited and assumed it was *this* molecule — **the only Phase 1b/2a was CohBar's CB4211, a stabilized analog (not native MOTS-c), and the program was discontinued in 2022**
you're shopping "energy" — the marketing word doesn't map to the mechanism (cellular bioenergetics, not subjective alertness)
you want clean phase 2 human RCTs — they're not there for the molecule you'd actually be injecting
you're a casual reader looking for a first peptide — this is niche
you have a known mitochondrial disorder and aren't being managed by a specialist

The 4 ways you can buy MOTS-c

No FDA-approved MOTS-c.

Compounded 503A

⚠

No meaningful 503A pathway…

$150–$400/mo at the handful of clinics that ship it

A handful of longevity compounders dispense; the major hormone clinics (Marek, Hone, Defy) typical…

RUO (research-only)

✓

Sold 'for research only'

$110–$300/mo

The dominant US-facing supply; the 16-aa mitochondrial peptide is non-trivial to synthesize, sub-9…

Gray market

✓

Unregulated overseas import

$15–$30/mo

Same upstream molecule as RUO. Crypto/Wise pay, no published COA — and notably cheaper per mg.

Click any lane for the full Sourcing breakdown. Prices and lane availability vary by molecule — this is the per-peptide snapshot, not a generic table.

First 90 days · MOTS-c

What we'd actually do

Weeks 1–2

Nothing perceptible. Longevity peptides are not 'feel something' molecules. If a vendor says you'll notice an effect this fast, they're selling you on placebo.

Weeks 4–8

Possibly subtle shifts in biomarkers (inflammation, sleep, recovery). Subjective changes in this window are usually placebo and confounded with whatever else you changed.

Week 12 — decide

Bloodwork or biomarker check. If the protocol can't be defended on a labeled change at 12 weeks, it can't be defended on hope.

Quit if

Any unusual symptoms — especially the cancer-mechanism flag for angiogenic peptides.
12 weeks of continuous use with no objective biomarker support to keep going.
Tolerance signal (the protocol needs escalating doses to feel the same).

Identity

What it is.

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid that's encoded inside the mitochondrial genome — not the nuclear one. That's genuinely strange. For most of modern biology, mitochondria were thought to encode only a handful of proteins for their own electron-transport machinery. MOTS-c is one of a small group of "mitochondrial-derived peptides" that signal back to the rest of the cell.

It was identified by Changhan David Lee's group and published in Cell Metabolism in 2015. The headline finding: MOTS-c improved insulin sensitivity in mice and reduced age-related obesity on a high-fat diet.

It's an . There is no version. There is one biotech (CohBar, now wound down) that took it into early human trials before pivoting away.

TL;DR

TL;DR. 30-second version.

The compressed verdict — what MOTS-c actually is, what the human evidence shows, and the watch-for in three bullets. Locked.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Mechanism

Mechanism.

Mechanism · in the MOTS-c report

How the molecule actually works — receptor profile, downstream signaling, what to expect mechanistically.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Evidence

Evidence. What we actually know in humans.

Evidence · in the MOTS-c report

The trial breakdown — phase, n, primary endpoint, who funded, what hit, what didn't.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Human-Evidence Factbox

Completed RCTs (native MOTS-c)

$19 ↓

Discontinued analog program (CB4211)

$19 ↓

Mouse studies

$19 ↓

Trial route (CB4211 analog)

Subq — same as community use

Half-life (estimated)

$19 ↓

Endogenous compound

$19 ↓

WADA status

$19 ↓

Long-term safety data

$19 ↓

Dose

Dose. The actual protocol.

Dose · in the MOTS-c report

The specific protocol — dose, titration schedule, cycle pattern, frequency, route.

We read 60 studies to write this report.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Sourcing

Sourcing. Where the cohort actually buys.

Sourcing · in the MOTS-c report

Sourcing breakdown — vendor methodology, red flags, our published test results, COA checklist.

We read 60 studies to write this report.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Safety

Safety. Side effects.

Safety · in the MOTS-c report

The watch-for list — contraindications, drug interactions, monitoring labs, when to stop.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Editorial Position

Editorial position.

Editorial Position · in the MOTS-c report

Our editorial position — explicit yes / no / depends, with the reasoning behind it.

Get the report · $19 ↓

Citations

Citations.

+Show all 60 citations

The MOTS-c Report · $19

Everything you need to start.

Dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict. One purchase. Yours forever.

Built from 60 cited studies.

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