ElamipretideSS-31
A mitochondria-targeting peptide that stabilizes cardiolipin — newly approved.
Identity
- Class
- Synthetic mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide (Szeto-Schiller)
- Source
- Synthetic; not derived from an endogenous hormone
- Receptor
- No cell-surface receptor; binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane
Key properties
Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.
Mechanism
SS-31 concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane and binds cardiolipin, helping preserve cristae structure and electron-transport efficiency while reducing reactive oxygen species. Because it protects mitochondrial energetics rather than acting on a surface receptor, it is studied wherever mitochondrial dysfunction is central — cardiomyopathy, mitochondrial myopathy, and neurodegeneration.
Reference notes
- As elamipretide, it received its first regulatory approval in 2026 — for the rare mitochondrial disease Barth syndrome — after roughly a decade of clinical development.
- Its molecular target is cardiolipin, a lipid unique to the inner mitochondrial membrane, rather than a classical receptor.
- It is sold in the research-peptide market as 'SS-31', though the underlying molecule now also exists in an approved, trial-backed form.
Selected literature
Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.
- 1.Elamipretide: A Review of Its Structure, Mechanism of Action, and Therapeutic Potential · International journal of molecular sciences, 2025 · PMID 39940712
- 2.Elamipretide: First Approval · Drugs, 2026 · PMID 41335372
- 3.Efficacy and Safety of Elamipretide in Individuals With Primary Mitochondrial Myopathy: The MMPOWER-3 Randomized Clinical Trial · Neurology, 2023 · PMID 37268435