SS-31: A Mitochondrial Research Overview
All information here is for laboratory and educational research only. No compound referenced is approved for human or veterinary use, and nothing here is medical advice.
- SS-31 (also called elamipretide) is a small peptide that targets mitochondria, the energy-making parts of cells, by binding a membrane fat called cardiolipin.
- It has been tested in human trials for mitochondrial diseases, with mixed results reported by investigators; much of the supporting work is preclinical.
- It is investigational and not FDA-approved.
- Longevity communities discuss it, but that is unverified anecdote, not proof.
- BioRegen supplies SS-31 reference material strictly for laboratory and educational research, not for human use.
SS-31 (also called elamipretide) is a small lab-made peptide. A peptide is a short chain of amino acids, the same building blocks that make up proteins. Scientists study SS-31 because it seems to gather inside a part of the cell called the mitochondria, the tiny units that make energy. All information here is for laboratory and educational research only. No compound referenced is approved for human or veterinary use, and nothing here is medical advice. This page gives a plain overview of how researchers study SS-31, where the science stands right now, and how the material is handled in a lab.
What SS-31 Is
SS-31 belongs to a group of small peptides known as the Szeto-Schiller family. These peptides can pass into cells, and SS-31 tends to collect inside the mitochondria, the cell's energy makers. In published studies, scientists use SS-31 mainly as a research tool to learn how the inside of the mitochondria is built, not as a finished product. When the same peptide is used in formal drug studies, it goes by the name elamipretide. SS-31 and elamipretide are two names for the same thing.
Mechanism and What Research Explores
Most SS-31 research centers on a fatty molecule called cardiolipin. Cardiolipin sits in the inner wall of the mitochondria and helps form the folds where energy is produced. (Cells store energy in a molecule called ATP, which is what those folds help make.) Studies have looked at how tightly SS-31 sticks to cardiolipin, and how that sticking relates to the shape of those folds and to the chain of steps the cell uses to make energy. Researchers also map out the many proteins that work near cardiolipin, since a lot of them take part in how the cell turns fuel into energy. In all of this work, SS-31 is used as a tool to study how mitochondria make energy. It is not being recommended or used as a treatment.
Research Stage and Limitations
Most of what we know about SS-31 comes from early-stage research. That means work done on mitochondria removed from cells, on cells in dishes, and on animals, not on people. Results like these do not tell us what would happen in humans or animals in real life. What shows up in one type of tissue may not hold true in another. The studies also use different methods and setups, so the science is still a work in progress, not a settled answer. You may also see people talking about SS-31 online. Those comments are personal stories, not careful studies, so they should not be taken as proof. BioRegen does not make or back any claims based on them.
Handling Notes for Laboratory Settings
SS-31 reference material is a peptide that comes as a dried powder, so labs treat it the way they treat other dried peptides. In general, that means keeping unopened vials cold, mixing the powder back into liquid with a suitable solvent in the lab, and avoiding repeated freezing and thawing. Writing down the lot number, the strength, and how it was stored helps other researchers repeat the work. For general background on getting peptide reference material ready in a lab, see our guide on how to reconstitute peptides. These notes cover lab handling only. They are not directions for any use in people or animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does SS-31 target at the molecular level?
In published studies, SS-31 gathers in the inner wall of the mitochondria and sticks to cardiolipin, a fatty molecule that helps shape the energy-making folds there. Researchers study this connection to learn more about how the inside of the mitochondria is built.
Is SS-31 the same as elamipretide?
Yes. SS-31 is the lab name for the same peptide that is called elamipretide in formal drug studies. It is one compound with two names, used in different research settings.
How established is the research?
Most of the evidence is early-stage and focused on how things work at the cell level. It helps researchers think about mitochondria, but it does not support any claim that SS-31 treats, cures, or prevents any condition.
Continue Your Research
To plan a study around compounds that act on the mitochondria, take a look at our research guide, and create a free account for 10% off your first order. You can compare related lab reference materials with our research finder, and see current options in the Energize research category.
For more on the biology behind mitochondrial and energy research, see our science overviews on the cellular danger response and energy denial versus energy shortage.
Selected research references
- Birk AV, et al. The mitochondrial-targeted compound SS-31 re-energizes ischemic mitochondria by interacting with cardiolipin. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2012121216
- Chavez JD, et al. Mitochondrial protein interaction landscape of SS-31. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002250117
Reference metadata sourced via PubMed.
This article is provided strictly for laboratory and educational research purposes. No compound discussed is approved for human or veterinary use, and nothing here constitutes medical advice or a claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.