MOTS-c research connects mitochondrial signaling with metabolic adaptation. A 2021 study measured exercise-associated endogenous MOTS-c in humans and investigated muscle and physical-performance responses in mice. The human observations and mouse administration experiments answer different questions; neither should be presented as a controlled human treatment result. Exercise and muscle-homeostasis study (2021)
A separate human exercise study examined circulating mitochondrial-derived peptides and reported different responses across peptides and exercise conditions. Together, these studies support investigating endogenous stress responses, while leaving the effects of externally administered MOTS-c unresolved. Human exercise study (2021)
ClinicalTrials.gov lists MOTS-MET (NCT07505745), a sponsor-submitted Phase 2 study of MOTS-c in adults with prediabetes and overweight or obesity. The retrieved record is recruiting, with estimated enrollment of 120 and no posted results. This is a registered research program, not evidence of clinical benefit or FDA approval. MOTS-MET registry record
FDA describes missing human exposure and safety information for compounded MOTS-c, alongside peptide-impurity and characterization concerns. This category distinguishes biological research from evidence for a particular formulation or clinical use. FDA compounding safety information