MOLECULAR INFORMATION
Molecular information
- Length
- 16 amino acids
- Type
- 16-AA mitochondrial-derived peptide · metabolic regulator (AMPK pathway)
Amino acid sequence
Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene — a member of the small but growing family of mitochondrial-derived peptides. Preclinical data suggests metabolic regulation via the AMPK pathway; marketed in longevity circles for exercise-mimetic and insulin- sensitisation claims.
Claims vs evidence
- Exercise-mimetic / insulin sensitisation — preclinical animal models only
- Anti-ageing / longevity — extrapolated from mechanistic biology, no human trial endpoint data
- Mitochondrial biogenesis — supported in cell-based and rodent models
Why we grade it D
No human RCT, no sponsor, no regulatory authorisation. The mitochondrial- peptide field is genuinely interesting biology but the leap from cell-based mechanism to marketed therapeutic claim is much larger than vendors imply.