Two mitochondrial compounds that work on completely different parts of the machinery.
Different mechanisms entirely. MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for AMPK signalling and metabolic adaptation. SS-31 binds cardiolipin on the inner mitochondrial membrane to stabilise it. One is a signalling molecule, the other a structural one.
| MOTS-c | SS-31 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c | Elamipretide, Bendavia, MTP-131 |
| Evidence tier | Preclinical | Clinical |
| Route | Subcutaneous | Subcutaneous |
| Half-life | Short | ~2–3 h |
| Vial sizes | 10/40 mg | 10/50 mg |
| Water we suggest | 2 mL, 3 mL | 2 mL, 3 mL |
| Reported doses | 5 mg, 10 mg | 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg |
| Has a schedule | no | Step up from 5 mg |
SS-31 has run human clinical programmes under the name elamipretide. MOTS-c is preclinical — no human dosing trials. That is the single biggest difference between them.
MOTS-c is typically 5–10 mg, SS-31 also in milligrams but reaching 20 mg or more in advanced protocols. At the top of the SS-31 range a full 100-unit syringe is in play, so vial size and water amount matter more than usual.