Designed to reach one membrane
SS-31 is a short peptide with an alternating charge pattern that lets it accumulate at the inner mitochondrial membrane. Unlike compounds that act on a receptor at the cell surface, the design question here was one of delivery: getting the molecule to a specific place inside the cell.
Its proposed target is cardiolipin, a lipid found almost exclusively in that membrane and closely involved in how the respiratory chain is organised. Cardiolipin changes with age and in various disease states, which is what makes it a target of interest.
Elamipretide, and what that means
Under the name elamipretide the compound has been through clinical programmes for several mitochondrial conditions. That means there are properly designed human studies to read, including ones that did not produce the hoped-for result.
Trials that miss their endpoint are more informative than most published literature, because they tell you where a mechanism did not translate. Anyone citing only the positive findings is giving you half the picture.
| Length | 4 amino acids |
| Also called | Elamipretide |
| Proposed target | Cardiolipin, inner mitochondrial membrane |
| Design principle | Charge pattern drives accumulation |
| Format | Pre-filled peptide pen |
| Purity | ≥ 99% (HPLC) |
| Evidence base | Includes clinical trials, with mixed results |
| Category | Research use only |
Identity, format and purity. Nothing beyond that is being asserted.
Why it sits in the longevity group
Mitochondrial function declines in characteristic ways with age, which is why compounds targeting that organelle appear in both energy and ageing research. SS-31 is studied from both directions.
That said, a compound in clinical development for a specific mitochondrial condition is not the same as a compound demonstrated to affect ageing, and the two get conflated regularly.
SS-31 in the catalogue
A 99% HPLC minimum applies to everything we put on the shelf, certificate included.
Where this fits in
What to read next, in the order that makes most sense.
About SS-31
Common queries, without the hedging.