SS-31
SS-31 (Elamipretide / Bendavia / MTP-131)
Also called SS-31, elamipretide, Bendavia, MTP-131
The mitochondrial protector
SS-31 is unusual in that it goes to one specific place: the inner membrane of your mitochondria, the part that actually generates energy. It binds to a fat molecule there called cardiolipin that gets damaged with age and disease, and stabilises it. Think of it as repairing the wiring rather than adding fuel.
A peptide that goes to one specific place: the inner membrane of your mitochondria, where it binds a fat called cardiolipin. It is the rare compound here that is a genuine pharmaceutical, tested in real trials, and its honest record includes a large trial that failed. Also known as elamipretide.
- Typical dose
- 5–10 mg/day
- Availability
- Research-only
Studied in people, and well studied in animals
511 papers · 23 clinical trials
What people use SS-31 for
Reported uses, roughly in order of how often they are the reason someone goes looking. Whether it works for any of them is a separate question, answered under each one.
- Fatigue tied to mitochondria
- The main reason people try it. If your cells are producing energy inefficiently, this targets that directly rather than stimulating you the way a stimulant would.
- Rare mitochondrial disease
- Where the serious clinical work has happened, under the name elamipretide. Results have been mixed and it has had a difficult regulatory path.
- Heart and muscle
- Heart muscle is packed with mitochondria, which is why it has been trialled in heart failure. Also why athletes look at it.
Mechanism of Action
How SS-31 works
Mitochondria have two membranes, and the inner one is folded into deep pleats to pack more surface into the space. Those folds are where energy is actually produced, and they are held in shape by a particular fat called cardiolipin.
Cardiolipin is fragile. It sits right next to where energy production happens, which is also where damaging reactive molecules are produced, so it takes damage first. When it degrades, the folds slump, the machinery bolted to them stops sitting correctly, and energy output falls.
What SS-31 does about it
SS-31 is built to go to exactly that membrane and bind cardiolipin. Not to the cell in general, not to a receptor on the surface, but to one fat in one membrane inside one organelle.
Binding it appears to stabilise the folds and keep the energy machinery properly seated. That is a structural repair rather than a stimulant: it is not pushing mitochondria to work harder, it is trying to fix the shape they work in.
The part that makes this compound credible
Its record includes a failure, and that is worth more than a page of successes. It has been through real clinical trials rather than supplier protocols, and a large one in a broad group of mitochondrial disease patients did not hit its endpoint.
That tells you two useful things: this is being tested honestly, and a compound targeting one specific defect will not help people whose problem is elsewhere. It is a precise tool, and precise tools miss when pointed at the wrong thing.
SS-31 dosage calculator
Opens at 5 mg, from the doses reported for SS-31. Change any box to match your own vial. It works out where to pull the plunger to.
How much is in the vial?
Printed on the label, in milligrams
How much water did you add?
Bacteriostatic water, in millilitres
What dose are you taking?
The dose you already intend to use
Which syringe?
Barrel size, printed on the wrapper
Draw to
Too much
That dose is 1 mL, more than a 0.5 mL syringe holds. Use a larger syringe, or add less water.
- Strength once mixed
- 5 mg/mL
- Doses in the vial
- 2
10 mg in 2 mL makes 5 mg/mL. A 5 mg dose is 1 mL of that, which is more than the barrel holds.
This is arithmetic, not advice. It converts a dose you already have into a mark on a syringe. It does not tell you what dose to take, and SS-31 is not prescribed by us. Dosing belongs with a qualified clinician.
SS-31 side effects: what people reported
The consistent complaint is the injection site rather than anything systemic, and it is more pronounced than with most peptides.
What most people notice
- Injection-site reactions: redness, itching, a raised welt that can last a day or more
- Headache
- Nausea
Worth keeping an eye on
- Injection-site reactions were common enough in trials to be a reason people stopped, so rotating sites matters more here than usual
Source: Clinical trials of elamipretide. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. SS-31 should only be considered with a qualified clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & SS-31
The genes involved in how SS-31 works
SS-31 works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
SOD2 · ••
The Val16Ala polymorphism affects mitochondrial superoxide dismutase targeting efficiency. The Ala variant (T allele) produces less efficient SOD2 import into mitochondria, leading to higher mitochondrial oxidative stress — exactly what SS-31 counteracts by reducing ROS production at the source.
PPARGC1A · ••
The Gly482Ser variant reduces PGC-1alpha activity and mitochondrial biogenesis. Individuals with fewer, less efficient mitochondria may benefit more from SS-31's ability to optimize existing mitochondrial function and restore coupling efficiency.
Variants near the cytochrome c gene affect expression levels. Since SS-31 stabilizes the cardiolipin-cytochrome c interaction critical for electron transport, variants affecting cytochrome c availability may modulate the magnitude of SS-31's membrane-stabilizing effect.
The -262C>T promoter variant affects catalase expression. Low catalase expressors have reduced capacity to neutralize hydrogen peroxide downstream of superoxide. SS-31 addresses this upstream by reducing superoxide production itself, potentially compensating for catalase deficiency.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which variants do you carry?
Upload your DNA data, or get tested through our partner, to find out.
Commonly combined with
What SS-31 is most often paired with, and why:
MOTS-c
Complete Mitochondrial StackEmerging EvidenceMitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA Type-c
A peptide written not in your own genome but in the tiny separate one your mitochondria carry, a leftover from when they were free-living bacteria. It behaves like an exercise signal: it switches on the same fuel-burning pathway a hard workout does. Levels fall with age, which is why it turns up in longevity conversations, and essentially all of the good data is in mice.
3
Gene variants
25+
Studies
Epithalon
Longevity StackEmerging EvidenceEpitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)
A synthetic tetrapeptide based on the natural pineal gland peptide epithalamin. Epithalon activates telomerase, the enzyme that maintains telomere length, potentially slowing cellular aging. Discovered by Professor Vladimir Khavinson, it remains one of the most studied anti-aging peptides in gerontology.
3
Gene variants
20+
Studies
Sourcing & access
Where to buy SS-31
SS-31 is sold as a research compound, not a licensed medicine, so quality and legal status vary widely by country and vendor. If you're sourcing it, treat independent purity testing as non-negotiable.
- Insist on a recent third-party Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the exact batch — labs like Janoshik verify purity and identity.
- Check the legal status where you live before ordering — it differs from country to country.
- Reconstitute correctly with bacteriostatic water and start at a conservative dose.
Before you buy: see whether your DNA actually responds to SS-31, and at what dose. Analyze my DNA — $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Some outbound links are affiliate links (disclosed, at no extra cost to you). Most peptides are not FDA-approved — consult a qualified professional and check your local laws before purchasing.
Worth knowing before you consider SS-31
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- The clinical results have been mixed
- This is not a compound with an unbroken run of wins. Some trials missed their targets. That is worth knowing before treating it as established.
- Expect the injection site to complain
- More so than with most peptides. Rotating sites properly is not optional with this one.
The evidence behind SS-31
This is a real pharmaceutical with 23 registered clinical trials, which sets it apart from most of this catalogue. It is also the rare compound whose public record includes a clear failure: a large trial in a broad group of mitochondrial disease patients did not meet its endpoint. That is worth more than a run of positive results, because it tells you the testing is honest and that a precise tool misses when pointed at the wrong problem.
The literature, counted
Counted in PubMed on 3 August 2026 for SS-31 OR elamipretide. Every figure links to the search that produced it, so you can re-run it. “Tagged human” is not the same as a human trial: that tag also covers work on human cells and reviews discussing people, which is why the trial count is given separately.
Studied in animals
1 of 1Results in animals do not automatically hold in people.Reviews
1 of 2Papers that gather other studies rather than run new ones.Every source behind this page31 more
Everything we cite for SS-31, including animal work and early research. Each link goes to the source itself, so you can judge it rather than take our word for it.
Last updated · literature counts verified against PubMed on
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SS-31 used for?
SS-31 (Elamipretide) is used to protect and restore mitochondrial function. It targets the inner mitochondrial membrane where energy production occurs, stabilizing electron transport and reducing oxidative damage. It is in clinical trials for heart failure (Barth syndrome, mitochondrial cardiomyopathy) and age-related mitochondrial decline.
Does genetics affect SS-31 response?
Yes. SOD2 variants affect baseline mitochondrial antioxidant capacity — individuals with reduced SOD2 function have higher mitochondrial oxidative stress that SS-31 directly addresses. PPARGC1A variants affect mitochondrial biogenesis, determining how many mitochondria you have for SS-31 to optimize. Genetic testing identifies your mitochondrial vulnerability profile.
How is SS-31 different from antioxidant supplements?
Most antioxidants (vitamin C, E, NAC) work by scavenging free radicals after they are produced — a reactive approach. SS-31 prevents ROS generation at the source by stabilizing the electron transport chain where superoxide is produced. It also concentrates specifically in mitochondria rather than distributing throughout the cell, making it orders of magnitude more targeted.
Learn more about SS-31
10 guides mention SS-31→peptide guides
In depthSS-31 (Elamipretide) Failed Its Biggest Trial. Then Got FDA Approval. Here's Why.
13 min read
stacking
In depthGHK-Cu, Epithalon, and SS-31: The Triple Anti-Aging Stack With One FDA-Approved Drug
13 min read
comparisons
In depthSS-31 vs BPC-157 for Brain Injury: Mitochondria vs Nitric Oxide
13 min read
genetics
APOE4 Carrier? 7 Neuroprotective Peptides Ranked by Evidence
14 min read
peptide guides
MOTS-c: The Mitochondrial Peptide Your Cells Lose With Age
11 min read
how it works
Which Peptides Should You Take? A DNA-First Decision Framework
13 min read
Your next move
Two ways forward with SS-31.
Not sure it's for you?
How does SS-31 relate to your genes?
Your report scores SS-31 against your receptor, pharmacogene and pathway variants and shows the genetic markers relevant to it, with commonly cited dosing information to review with a clinician.
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