humanin vs mots-c

updated October 25, 2026

humanin (tier C) vs mots-c (tier B): what each is, why each got its grade, half-life and source counts side by side.

humanin · tier C

a 24-amino-acid peptide your mitochondria encode. cytoprotective and metabolic biology in cells and rodents. zero interventional human trials.

tier rationale

C-tier because the mechanism is plausible and unusually well-characterized for an unapproved compound, but the human evidence is thin: observational endogenous-biomarker work only, with zero completed interventional trials. Not D-tier because the preclinical biology is genuinely real and replicated, not failed or contradicted, and the mitochondrial-derived-peptide field is serious academic science. Not B-tier because B requires a stronger evidence trajectory toward humans, and humanin has no registered interventional clinical program the way MOTS-c now does. Humanin sits in C as 'real, novel biology in cells and rodents, no human treatment data yet.'

mots-c · tier B

mitochondrial peptide your body makes during exercise. restores metabolic health in mice. never given to a person in a trial.

tier rationale

B-tier because the preclinical evidence is genuinely novel and interesting (mitochondrial-encoded peptide, exercise-induced, age-declining, aging-reversing in mice), but parent-molecule human results have not read out. Not C-tier because the mechanism is well-characterized and the animal data is extensive. Not A-tier because the jump from mouse to human requires completed clinical testing. MOTS-c sits in an unusual category: exceptional biology, and a therapeutic record that has not begun.

at a glance

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.