Longevity & cellularInjectable

SS-31

Also known as: Elamipretide · MTP-131

SS-31 (also known as elamipretide) is a synthetic peptide that concentrates in mitochondria, studied for cellular energy and mitochondrial function.

Physician-reviewedDr. Bushra Mir, Medical Director · DHA-licensedReviewed 10 July 2026

The molecule, up close

Class: Mitochondria-targeted synthetic peptide
Origin: Designed to accumulate in mitochondria
Chemistry: Small tetrapeptide; binds cardiolipin
Typical format: Injectable (clinical trials)
Regulatory status: In clinical trials as elamipretide

This page is educational information, not medical advice or an offer of treatment. Peptides used clinically are prescription medicines; whether any is appropriate for you is a decision a physician makes after a diagnostic assessment.

What it is

SS-31 is a designed peptide that accumulates inside mitochondria, the cell's energy centres. Under the name elamipretide it has been developed as a drug candidate and evaluated in formal clinical trials, which sets it apart from most compounds in this library.

It's a good example of how one molecule can live in two worlds at once — a serious clinical-trial drug candidate, and a name that circulates in the longevity conversation.

What it's studied for

Interest centres on conditions and processes linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, and on cellular energy production. Trials have looked at specific mitochondrial and heart-related conditions.

It isn't a general "anti-ageing" therapy; the serious study of it is in defined medical conditions.

The science

Research indicates SS-31 associates with cardiolipin, a lipid in the inner mitochondrial membrane important for how mitochondria generate energy. The idea under study is that stabilising this could support mitochondrial function.

This is a comparatively well-characterised mechanism for a peptide, though the clinical benefit in specific conditions is still being established.

Typical form

Injectable

Shown in the dispensing format most often used in research and clinical settings. Where any protocol is appropriate, the route, dose and schedule are a physician’s decision — not a fixed recipe.

Safety & considerations

Prescription-only and physician-supervised. Its appropriate use belongs in a clinical, monitored context, and eligibility depends on a full assessment.

Because it has been through formal trials, more is known about it than about many peptides — though that doesn't make it a general-use product.

Status & oversight

SS-31 is a drug candidate studied in formal clinical trials under the name elamipretide, and is used under medical supervision rather than as a general anti-ageing product.

Common questions

SS-31, in brief.

Is SS-31 the same as elamipretide?

Yes. SS-31 is the research name; elamipretide is the name used in clinical drug development. It has been studied in formal human trials for specific mitochondrial-related conditions.

What is SS-31 studied for?

It's studied for mitochondrial function and cellular energy, and in trials for particular conditions linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. It's still under study rather than an approved general therapy.

Does SS-31 reverse ageing?

No. It's studied for mitochondrial function in specific conditions, with mixed trial results, so there's no basis to describe it as reversing ageing.

Peptides of this kind are prescription medicines. Whether any protocol is appropriate is decided the way the rest of the practice works — from data, after an assessment.

How our longevity assessment works Back to the peptide field guide

How this is written

Physician-reviewed and evidence-led. We describe what a compound is studied for and where the evidence stands — not what it will do for you — and we revise pages as the science changes. Reviewed by Dr. Bushra Mir, Medical Director · DHA-licensed.

References

Peer-reviewed references for this compound are added by the physician author before publication.