Published · 6 references
MOTS-c vs Tesamorelin
MOTS-c and Tesamorelin are different molecules: MOTS-c is a 16-residue peptide encoded within a ribosomal RNA gene, and Tesamorelin is a 44-residue analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone.
Structure at a glance
MOTS-c · 16 residues
Tesamorelin · 44 residues
Hex: N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group. NH2: C-terminal amide. Letters are one-letter amino acid codes.
Drawn from the product database. Each measure's bars share one scale.
| Property | MOTS-c | Tesamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A 16-residue peptide encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene.[1] Ends in a free C-terminal acid. | A 44-residue peptide: an analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group. |
| How they relate | Different molecules. MOTS-c is encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene.[1] Tesamorelin is an analog of the full 44-residue human growth hormone-releasing hormone. | |
| CAS number | 1627580-64-6 | 218949-48-5 |
| Molecular formula | C101H152N28O22S2 | C221H366N72O67S |
| Molecular weight | 2,174.62 g/mol | 5,135.86 g/mol |
| Sequence | MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR | trans-3-hexenoyl-YADAIFTNSYRKVLGQLSARKLLQDIMSRQQGESNQERGARARL-NH2 |
| Evidence base | Animal and cell studies. No completed controlled study testing MOTS-c in people has published results. Human studies in the literature reviewed for it measured the body's own MOTS-c. | Human studies, which supported an approval for one indication. A pooled analysis of two phase 3 trials covered 806 randomized participants.[2] Their primary endpoints were imaging surrogates. The trial papers were manufacturer-sponsored. |
| Regulatory status | MOTS-c is not approved for human therapeutic use, and Drugs@FDA holds no approved application for it.[3] | The FDA approved tesamorelin acetate in 2010 for one therapeutic indication.[4][5] That approval is current. |
| Compared head-to-head? | No direct comparison found in PubMed (searched October 2026).[6] | |
| Handling difference | Neither contains a cysteine. MOTS-c has three oxidation-prone residues: two methionines and a tryptophan. Tesamorelin has one methionine, which oxidizes on air exposure. Tesamorelin's principal stability concern is physical rather than chemical. | |
How MOTS-c and Tesamorelin differ
MOTS-c and Tesamorelin are different molecules. MOTS-c is a 16-residue peptide encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA (ribosomal RNA) gene.[1] Its chain has a free N-terminal amine and a free C-terminal acid. Solid-phase synthesis delivers MOTS-c as a salt. Tesamorelin is a synthetic analog of the full 44-residue human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Its chain carries a trans-3-hexenoyl group on the N-terminus and is amidated at the C-terminus.
No completed controlled study testing MOTS-c in people has published results. In the literature reviewed for MOTS-c, the human studies measured the body's own MOTS-c. The findings of the 2015 paper that first described MOTS-c are animal and cell findings, and none of them has been shown in humans.[1]
A pooled analysis of Tesamorelin's two phase 3 trials covered 806 randomized participants.[2] In the literature reviewed for Tesamorelin, those trials used imaging surrogates as primary endpoints, not clinical outcomes. The two trial papers and the pooled analysis were manufacturer-sponsored, with sponsor-affiliated co-authors.
MOTS-c is not approved for human therapeutic use, and Drugs@FDA holds no approved application for it.[3] The FDA approved tesamorelin acetate in 2010 for one therapeutic indication.[4][5] That approval is current, and it belongs to tesamorelin acetate and to that one indication. Tesamorelin acetate is the active ingredient of a prescription medicine sold under another name. The material supplied here is a research-grade preparation, is not that medicine, and holds no marketing authorization.
MOTS-c carries two methionines and a tryptophan, three residues that can each take up oxygen when exposed to air, light or trace metals. A glutamine gives it a second, slower route, deamidation in solution. Tesamorelin contains a single methionine, which oxidizes to a sulfoxide on air exposure. Its nitrogen count indicates asparagine and glutamine, which both deamidate. Neither contains a cysteine, so neither can form a disulfide. For Tesamorelin, the principal stability concern is physical rather than chemical: a chain long enough to fold can aggregate on repeated freezing and thawing. In both, basic side chains bring a substantial counter-ion load.
Have MOTS-c and Tesamorelin been compared directly?
No direct comparison of MOTS-c with Tesamorelin was found in a PubMed search run in October 2026.[6] That search covers PubMed only.
Read more on each compound
MOTS-c
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MOTS-c the same as Tesamorelin?+−
MOTS-c and Tesamorelin are different molecules: MOTS-c is a 16-residue peptide encoded within a ribosomal RNA gene, and Tesamorelin is a 44-residue analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone. Tesamorelin carries a trans-3-hexenoyl group on its N-terminus and is amidated at its C-terminus. MOTS-c has a free N-terminal amine and a free C-terminal acid.
Is MOTS-c or Tesamorelin approved?+−
MOTS-c is not approved for human therapeutic use; the FDA approved tesamorelin acetate in 2010 for one therapeutic indication. Tesamorelin acetate is the active ingredient of a prescription medicine sold under another name. The material supplied here is a research-grade preparation, is not that medicine, and holds no marketing authorization.
References
- 2Falutz J, Mamputu JC, Potvin D, Moyle G, Soulban G, Loughrey H, et al. 2010;95(9):4291-4304. PMID 20554713.
- 3US Food and Drug Administration. openFDA drug/label and drug/drugsfda endpoints, snapshot last updated 2026-08-26. Field-qualified substance-name query returned no record for MOTS-c.
- 4US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Approval letter for tesamorelin, 10 November 2010 (Reference ID 2863003).
- 5US Food and Drug Administration, Drugs@FDA. Approval record whose active ingredient is tesamorelin acetate; marketing status Prescription. Retrieved via api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json on products.active_ingredients.name "TESAMORELIN ACETATE", 3 October 2026.
- 6PubMed search via NCBI E-utilities, run 3 October 2026; records entered to 2 October 2026. Query: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR "MOTSc"[tiab] OR "MOTS c"[tiab]) AND ("tesamorelin"[tiab]) AND ("1800/01/01"[edat] : "2026/10/02"[edat]). 1 record; none was a direct comparison of the two compounds.
Related comparisons
AOD-9604 vs Tesamorelin
AOD-9604 is a modified 16-residue peptide from the C-terminal end of human growth hormone; Tesamorelin is a 44-residue analog of human GHRH.
Read ComparisonCJC-1295 (No DAC) vs Tesamorelin
CJC-1295 (No DAC) carries four substitutions in human GHRH's first 29 residues; Tesamorelin is an analog of the full 44-residue hormone.
Read ComparisonHGH Fragment 176-191 vs Tesamorelin
HGH Fragment 176-191 is a 16-residue fragment of human growth hormone; Tesamorelin is a 44-residue analog of human GHRH.
Read Comparison