MOTS-c and Fat Loss: What Has Been Studied

What the research covers

MOTS-c has not been tested for fat loss in humans. The weight data on this page come from a 2015 rodent (mouse) study. MOTS-c is a peptide of 16 amino acids. It is coded in mitochondrial DNA and was first reported in that study.

In the 2015 study, rodents (mouse) were fed a high-fat diet. MOTS-c treatment prevented the obesity this diet caused. It also prevented insulin resistance caused by the diet and by ageing. Its main target organ appeared to be skeletal muscle. In cells, it slowed the folate cycle and the making of purines. This led to activation of AMPK, an enzyme. The authors suggested that mitochondria may help control metabolism through peptides like this one.

A PubMed search on 27 September 2026 found five clinical trial records on MOTS-c. All five measured the body's own MOTS-c levels. None gave MOTS-c to people. So there are no human data on MOTS-c dose, weight change or safety. The rodent (mouse) results have not been tested in people.

Sources

1. Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG, et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab (2015). PMID 25738459 doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009 Discovery paper. Rodent (mouse): MOTS-c treatment prevented age-dependent and high-fat-diet insulin resistance and diet-induced obesity; AMPK activation in cells.