A mitochondria-derived peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, studied for its roles in metabolic regulation, insulin sensitivity, and longevity.
Reduced serum and skeletal muscle MOTS c levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.
Scientific reports|2026|Kutuk I et al.
UNLABELLED: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs), including MOTS-c, regulate glucose homeostasis and skeletal muscle metabolism. Whether MOTS-c expres…
PMID: 41680431
MOTS-c primes adrenal cortex metabolism without directly driving steroidogenesis.
Folia histochemica et cytobiologica|2026|Blatkiewicz M et al.
INTRODUCTION: Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c (MOTS-c), a 16-amino acid mitochondrial-derived peptide, regulates cellular metabolism through AMPK and mTOR signaling and exerts protective effects across multiple endocrine tissu…
Animal Study
PMID: 41811086
Systemic MOTS-c levels are increased in adults with obesity in association with metabolic dysregulation and remain unchanged after weight loss.
Journal of clinical & translational endocrinology|2026|Yoon S et al.
INTRODUCTION: MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a mitochondrial-derived peptide and regulator of metabolic homeostasis. Although its role in glucose and lipid metabolism is emerging, changes in circulating MOTS-c wit…
PMID: 41551324
MOTS-c attenuates cardiac dysfunction following high altitude exposure by promoting mitophagy.
Free radical biology & medicine|2026|Feng Z et al.
Prolonged exposure to high altitude (HA) results in a range of systemic changes, some of which, specifically for the heart, particularly cardiac changes, remain difficult to reverse after returning to low altitude. Cardiac de-acclimatization after HA…
Animal Study
PMID: 41654147
Mitochondrial-derived peptides MOTS-c and humanin attenuate dexamethasone-induced atrophy in human skeletal muscle cells.
Physiological reports|2026|Elhusseiny R et al.
Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone (DEXA), are effective therapeutics but cause severe muscle wasting. Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) are promising countermeasures, but their effectiveness is largely unexplored. We tested the hypothesis th…
PMID: 41732124
Effects of graviola oil extract on fattening performance and circadian rhythms of adipokine, cardiac and mitochondrial function markers in lambs.
BMC veterinary research|2026|Kotan G, Bayraktar B
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of dietary graviola (Annona muricata L.) oil extract (GOE) (supplemented at 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg) on the growth performance and circadian rhythm profiles of adipokine, cardiac, and mitochondrial func…
PMID: 41803858
Muscle-Targeted Nanocomposite Therapy Alleviates Age-Related Sarcopenia via Antioxidant and Metabolic Reprogramming.
ACS nano|2026|Liu Z et al.
Sarcopenia, a progressive skeletal muscle disorder marked by loss of mass and function, presents growing societal challenges due to limited therapeutic options. Here, we identify mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress as central drivers of sa…
Animal Study
PMID: 41468174
Mitochondria-derived peptides in liver disease: Emerging regulators of hepatic metabolism and therapeutic targets.
Hepatology communications|2026|Thoudam T et al.
Mitochondria-derived peptides (MDPs) are bioactive molecules encoded by small open reading frames within mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Humanin, the first MDP to be discovered, functions as a cytoprotective factor, protecting cells from stress-induced ap…
Review
PMID: 41543486
Next-generation therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: CAR-T cell and anticancer peptide synergy.
International journal of biological macromolecules|2026|Kannan H, Pan I
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, is characterized by late diagnosis, limited treatment efficacy, and a highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Chronic liver injury, fibrosis, and inflammation are central…
Review
PMID: 41587709
Exogenous MOTS-c mitigates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury: experimental and in silico evidence from rat heart models.
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology|2026|Santhanam S, Jayaraman S, Kurian G
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c regulates metabolic and cellular stress responses, but its dose-response profile and direct cardioprotective mechanisms in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) remain undefined. This proof-of-concept…
Animal Study
PMID: 41593376
Therapeutic Effects of MOTS-c in the Valproic Acid-Induced Autism Model in Rats: Role of Tetrahydrobiopterin and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor.
Molecular neurobiology|2026|Güvenir Seven S et al.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and repetitive behaviors, with currently limited therapeutic options. Oxidative stress is suggested as significant in ASD pathophysiology, ma…
Animal Study
PMID: 41706383
Aerobic exercise and MOTS-c attenuate diabetic myocardial fibrosis via inhibition of the THBS1/TGF-β signaling pathway.
Frontiers in endocrinology|2026|Li Z et al.
Myocardial fibrosis stands as a defining pathological characteristic in type 2 diabetes. Aerobic exercise curbs the overproduction of type I/III collagen and boosts matrix metalloproteinases, thereby improving outcomes related to fibrosis in the hear…
PMID: 41710402
MOTS-c Protects Against Acetaminophen-induced Liver Injury through the MAPK Signaling Pathway.
Protein and peptide letters|2026|Li N et al.
OBJECTIVE: Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI) is a leading cause of acute liver failure worldwide, but effective therapeutic strategies are still lacking. MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-derived peptide, has demonstrated hepatoprotective proper…
Animal Study
PMID: 41764620
Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c alleviates hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonatal mice by activating Nrf2 pathway.
European journal of pharmacology|2026|Chen D et al.
Oxidative stress play key roles in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). MOTS-c is a mitochondria-derived peptide containing 16 amino acids that is reported to be involved in the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases. However…
Animal StudyIn Vitro
PMID: 41802484
Mitochondrial-Derived Peptides as Therapeutics and Biomarkers for Combating Vascular Aging and Associated Cardiovascular Diseases.
Current cardiology reviews|2026|Sivakumar R et al.
Vascular aging profoundly affects the onset of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, mostly as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction. This review examines the protective roles of mitochondrial- derived peptides such as humanin, MOTS-c, and small hu…
Review
PMID: 40574402
A mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c contributes to the protective effect against brain injury associated with LPS-induced sepsis by strengthening the blood-brain barrier's ultrastructure.
The International journal of neuroscience|2026|Bai Y et al.
BACKGROUND: Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a serious complication of sepsis, increasing short-term and long-term mortality. It involves neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. MOTS-c, a mitochondrion-d…
Animal Study
PMID: 40753494
Mitochondrial-derived microproteins in cancer and neurodegeneration: A new era of cross-disease mechanistic insights.
Pathology, research and practice|2026|Hu S, Hu C, Tong M
Mitochondrial-derived microproteins (MDPs) translate mitochondrial stress into cellular decisions that shape aging, metabolism, cancer biology, and neurodegeneration. Humanin, MOTS-c, SHLPs, and the recently identified SHMOOSE act through distinct in…
Review
PMID: 41468641
MOTS-c improves intrinsic muscle mitochondrial bioenergetic health and efficiency in a PGC-1α/AMPK-dependent manner.
Free radical biology & medicine|2026|Gudiksen A et al.
Mitochondrial-derived peptides are a small class of regulatory peptides encoded by short open reading frames in mitochondrial DNA. One such peptide, mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c), has been shown to exert numerous benefic…
Animal Study
PMID: 41520850
Mitochondrial-derived microproteins in lung disease: insights and implications.
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology|2026|Behan M et al.
As bioactive microproteins, mitochondrial-derived microproteins (MDPs) are encoded within the small open reading frames of mitochondrial DNA. MDPs have been shown to be altered in a number of disease states and have mitochondrial, nuclear, and extrac…
Review
PMID: 41569667
Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c targets SLC7A11 to preserve spermatogenesis by suppressing ferroptosis.
Free radical biology & medicine|2026|Liu S et al.
Mitochondrial function is critical for spermatogenesis and male fertility. MOTS-c, a mitochondrially encoded regulatory peptide, has recently been reported to effectively protect testicular spermatogenesis in mice, but its specific role and mechanism…
Animal Study
PMID: 41933740