MOTS-c studies
295 journal papers mention MOTS-c in the title or abstract. Here are the most cited, the latest, and a few facts about the literature.
Studies range from laboratory work to clinical trials. A paper listed here is not an endorsement and says nothing about whether MOTS-c is safe, effective or approved for any use.
- Papers
- 295
- 246 articles, 49 reviews
- Earliest paper
- 2015
- Most papers in 2026 (63)
- Open access
- 68%
- free to read somewhere
- Reviews
- 17%
- of all papers listed
What kind of studies
Of 263 papers in PubMed that mention MOTS-c in the title or abstract, by the study type PubMed records. Categories overlap, so they do not add up to the total.
- Randomized controlled trials4
- Other clinical trials1
- Meta-analyses and systematic reviews1
- Other reviews59
- Case reports0
- Animal studies only53
- Studies in humans153
Study types are tags assigned by publishers and PubMed indexers; very new papers are often not tagged yet, and a tag is not a quality rating. Retracted papers are excluded. Source: PubMed (NCBI).
Registered clinical studies
Studies on ClinicalTrials.gov that mention MOTS-c in their intervention details. A registration says a study is planned or running, not what it found.
- Registered
- 5
- Completed
- 0
- Ongoing or planned
- 4
- Phase 1
- 0
- Phase 2
- 1
- Phase 3
- 0
- Comparison of the Effects of General Anesthesia and Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia on Ferroptosis, Humanin and MOTS-c Levels in Renal Transplantation
NCT07678073Recruitingstarted 2026-03-01
- MOTS-c for Improving Insulin Sensitivity in Adults With Prediabetes and Overweight/Obesity
NCT07505745RecruitingPhase 2started 2026-02-02
- The Cardiovascular Effect of GLP-1 Agonist, SGLT2 Inhibitor and Their Combination
NCT03878706Recruitingstarted 2017-11-03
- Cohort Of DEafness-gene Screening
NCT06133946Active, not recruitingstarted 2016-01-01
- Platelet Reactivity, B-amyloid, MOTS-c and Mortality of Type II Diabetics With CAD
NCT04027712Status unknownstarted 2014-01-01
The five most recently updated studies. See all 5 on ClinicalTrials.gov. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Studies are found by the compound's name, so a few may be about something else.
Papers per year
2015 to 2026, peak 63 papers in a year. The latest year may still be incomplete.
Where it is published
- Free Radical Biology and Medicine8 papers
- Scientific Reports8 papers
- Frontiers in Endocrinology8 papers
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences6 papers
- European Journal of Pharmacology6 papers
The papers
Most citedName in the title
- MOTS-c: A novel mitochondrial-derived peptide regulating muscle and fat metabolism
Changhan David Lee, Kyung Hwa Kim, Pinchas Cohen · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · 2016
ReviewOpen access178 citationsRead the open copy →
- Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging
Wei Wan, Lieliang Zhang, Yue Lin et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2023
ReviewOpen access · CC BY70 citationsRead the open copy →
- MOTS-c: A promising mitochondrial-derived peptide for therapeutic exploitation
Yuejun Zheng, Zilin Wei, Tianhui Wang · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2023
ReviewOpen access · CC BY46 citationsRead the open copy →
- MOTS‐c: A Mitochondrial‐Encoded Regulator of the Nucleus
Bérénice Anath Benayoun, Changhan David Lee · BioEssays · 2019
ReviewOpen access42 citationsRead the open copy →
- MOTS-c, the Most Recent Mitochondrial Derived Peptide in Human Aging and Age-Related Diseases
Zahra Mohtashami, Mithalesh Kumar Singh, Nasim Salimiaghdam et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2022
ReviewOpen access · CC BY41 citationsRead the open copy →
LatestName in title or abstract
- Mitochondrial-derived peptides in female reproduction: Emerging regulators of oocyte competence and novel therapeutic opportunities for infertility
Zahra Rostami, Mina Galeshi, Abbas Mosapour · Tissue and Cell · 2026
Review
- Mitochondria–Endoplasmic Reticulum Crosstalk in Pancreatic β-Cell Stress: A Driver of Diabetes
Sara Anjum Niinuma, Ashleigh Suzu-Nishio Takemoto, William Junior Khalil et al. · Cells · 2026
ReviewOpen access · CC BYRead the open copy →
- Mitokines as bioenergetic stress signals in cardiovascular disease: mitochondrial communication, endocrine adaptation, and translational implications
Gino A. Kurian · Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes · 2026
Review
- Mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) activated by physical exercise as therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders: A systematic review
Novadri Ayubi, Junian Cahyanto Wibawa, Mert Kurnaz et al. · Physiology International · 2026
Systematic review
- MOTS-c in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy: Mechanisms and translational potential
Zeze Zhao, Wei Chen, Xiaoqian Zheng et al. · European Journal of Pharmacology · 2026
Review
- Emerging regulators of human physiology and disease; sORF-encoded microproteins
Ayman M. Mustafa, Rebaz M. Ali, Sami S. Omar et al. · Epigenomics · 2026
ReviewOpen accessRead the open copy →
- Mitochondrial dysfunction in ARDS: unraveling the regulatory networks and therapeutic opportunities
Yuhuan Li, Miao Wang, Ke Wan et al. · Frontiers in Immunology · 2026
ReviewOpen access · CC BYRead the open copy →
- MOTS-c: How a secreted mitochondrial microprotein may become a potential treatment for inflammatory lung diseases
Carlos Antonio Amado Diago, Juan Agüero, Mayte García-Unzueta et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2026
ReviewOpen access · CC BY-NC-NDRead the open copy →
Each list shows up to 40 papers.See all 295 on OpenAlex. Source: OpenAlex (CC0), journal articles and reviews with a DOI, retractions excluded, refreshed weekly, last 4 Nov 2026, 08:31 UTC. Papers are listed by their metadata only; follow the links to read them. A license shown on an open copy is the license the publisher or repository states for that copy.