What is SS-31?

Human clinical studiesMitochondrial research · Last reviewed September 28, 2026

SS-31 (elamipretide) is a small synthetic tetrapeptide designed to concentrate inside mitochondria, the energy-producing structures of cells.

How does SS-31 work?

It binds cardiolipin, a lipid in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which is thought to help stabilize the machinery that produces cellular energy.

What are researchers studying?

●Mitochondrial disease, including Barth syndrome
●Heart failure and kidney injury models
●Age-related decline in muscle function

Where does the evidence stand?

Human clinical studies

Elamipretide has been studied in human clinical trials and received FDA accelerated approval in 2025 for Barth syndrome, a rare mitochondrial disease.

Quick facts

Research area: Mitochondrial
Sequence: D-Arg-2,6-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2
Also known as: Elamipretide, §-31
Third-party lab results: 6 published COAs →
Tested vendors tracking it: 2 vendors →

Recent peer-reviewed research

The most relevant SS-31 studies from the last three years, via PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).

Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance
Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026 Aug · PubMed ↗
Elamipretide (SS-31) and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) Combination Therapy Targets TREM2 to Mitigate Post-ischemic Brain Injury in Mice
Neurochemical research · 2026 Jul 14 · PubMed ↗
Restoring cardiolipin homeostasis mitigates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing ATG5-mediated neuronal autophagy-dependent ferroptosis
Journal of advanced research · 2026 Mar 12 · PubMed ↗
SS-31 improves post-cardiac arrest brain injury by inhibiting microglial ferroptosis and polarization
Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026 Jan · PubMed ↗
Mitochondrial Dysfunction Drives Age-Related Degeneration of the Thoracic Aorta
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025 Jun 15 · PubMed ↗

Compare SS-31

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This guide summarizes published research for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not describe how to use SS-31. Citations link to PubMed and are listed for reference — we haven't reviewed or endorsed their findings. Products referenced on The Peptide Audit are sold by third parties for laboratory research use only and are not for human consumption.