K4 Elite
K4 Elite
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-encoded peptide characterised in 2015. Interventional evidence comes from mouse studies (intraperitoneal dosing in diet-induced obesity and ageing models); human data are limited to observational measurements of endogenous circulating MOTS-c in obesity, coronary endothelial dysfunction, ageing and exercise. A synthetic analogue, CB4211 (CohBar), completed a phase 1a/1b safety study in healthy and NAFLD subjects, but no results have been posted or published in indexed journals. No completed human efficacy trial of MOTS-c itself exists.
Each row records what a published study did: who it enrolled, the regimen it administered to those subjects, and what it reported. These are historical study descriptions, not protocols to follow.
| Study | Population | Regimen as reported | Primary findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee et al., Cell Metab 2015 (mouse studies) | Male CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice on normal or 60%-fat diets; young (3-month) and middle-aged (12-month) mice | In high-fat-diet-fed CD-1 mice, MOTS-c 0.5 mg/kg/day was given intraperitoneally for up to 8 weeks; in C57BL/6 mice, 5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 7 days preceded glucose-tolerance tests and clamps; CD-1 mice on normal diet received 5 mg/kg/day (twice daily) for 4 days for acute metabolic studies. | MOTS-c treatment prevented high-fat-diet-induced weight gain and age- and diet-associated insulin resistance in mice, with skeletal muscle AMPK activation and inhibition of the folate pathway proposed as the mechanism. |
| Reynolds et al., Nat Commun 2021 (mouse studies plus human observational component) | Young (2-month), middle-aged (12-month) and old (22-23.5-month) mice; human skeletal-muscle and plasma samples around exercise | Mice received MOTS-c by injection, including a late-life (23.5-month) intermittent regimen given three times per week; in humans, endogenous MOTS-c was measured in muscle and circulation before and after exercise. | MOTS-c treatment increased physical performance in mice of all ages tested; in humans, exercise increased endogenous MOTS-c in skeletal muscle and plasma. |
| CohBar CB4211 Phase 1a/1b (NCT03998514; completed 2021, no results posted) Registry: NCT03998514
|
88 participants: healthy non-obese adults (18-60 y, BMI 18-30) in single- and multiple-ascending-dose parts, and subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Part C | CB4211 (a MOTS-c analogue, not MOTS-c itself) or placebo was given as subcutaneous bolus injections: single ascending doses (Part A), once daily for 7 days (Part B), and once daily for 28 days in NAFLD subjects (Part C); actual dose levels are not disclosed on the registry. | Registered as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety/tolerability/PK/PD study; the registry lists the study as completed with no results posted. |
| Du et al., Pediatr Diabetes 2018 (observational case-control) | 40 obese children/adolescents and 57 controls in Hubei, China | No intervention; circulating endogenous MOTS-c was measured by immunoassay. | Circulating MOTS-c was lower in the obese group (472.6 vs 561.6 ng/mL), driven by obese males, and was associated with insulin resistance. |
| Qin et al., Int J Cardiol 2018 (observational) | 40 patients undergoing coronary angiography with no structural coronary lesions (20 with endothelial dysfunction, 20 normal) | No intervention; aortic plasma MOTS-c was measured by ELISA at catheterisation. | Plasma MOTS-c was lower in patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction than in those with normal endothelial function (p=0.007). |
| D'Souza et al., Aging 2020 (observational) | Healthy young (18-30 y), middle-aged (45-55 y) and older (70-81 y) men | No intervention; plasma and skeletal-muscle MOTS-c were measured across age groups. | Circulating MOTS-c declined with age, while muscle MOTS-c expression was ~1.5-fold higher in middle-aged and older men than in young men. |
No adverse effects with a verifiable citation have been indexed for this compound.
No interactions with a verifiable citation have been indexed for this compound.
Exclusions and label contraindications recorded in the cited sources.