SS-31

Volume Pricing

Price per pack (10 vials). Discount applies to this compound only – no mix and match.

SS-31 — Cardiolipin-Targeted Mitochondrial Antioxidant Tetrapeptide

SS-31 (Elamipretide) is a synthetic tetrapeptide developed by Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller at Weill Cornell Medicine in the early 2000s as part of the Szeto-Schiller peptide series. Its sequence — D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH2 — incorporates a dimethyltyrosine residue that confers potent antioxidant activity while enabling selective accumulation at the inner mitochondrial membrane. Unlike MitoQ and other mitochondria-targeted antioxidants that require an intact membrane potential for uptake, SS-31 binds directly to cardiolipin — a phospholipid exclusive to the inner mitochondrial membrane — through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. This cardiolipin-binding mechanism stabilizes the curvature of cristae membranes and maintains the structural integrity of electron transport chain supercomplexes. SS-31 has advanced through Phase II and Phase III clinical trials under the name Bendavia (MTP-131) for ischemia-reperfusion injury and heart failure applications.

Why SS-31’s Cardiolipin Binding Matters

Cardiolipin is essential for anchoring and organizing ETC complexes I, II, III, and IV into functional supercomplexes (respirasomes). Oxidative stress causes cardiolipin peroxidation, which disrupts these supercomplexes, increases electron leak, and amplifies superoxide production — a feed-forward cycle of mitochondrial dysfunction. SS-31 intercepts this cycle at the membrane level: by binding peroxidized cardiolipin, it prevents cytochrome c dissociation, reduces electron leak, and restores ATP synthesis efficiency without requiring a transmembrane potential for entry. This distinguishes it mechanistically from lipophilic cation-conjugated antioxidants that concentrate via the Nernst equation.

Research Applications

SS-31 is used in studies examining:

• Mitochondrial dysfunction models — ETC complex activity, ROS quantification, oxygen consumption rate
• Ischemia-reperfusion injury — cardiac, renal, and cerebral ischemia models
• Heart failure research — preserved and reduced ejection fraction models; myocardial energetics
• Renal injury and acute kidney disease — proximal tubule mitochondrial protection
• Aging biology — mitochondrial decline, sarcopenia, frailty models in aged rodents
• Neurodegenerative disease models — Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s-associated mitochondrial pathology
• Cardiolipin biochemistry — membrane curvature, cristae morphology, supercomplex assembly

Specifications

Reconstitution

SS-31 arrives as lyophilized powder and must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water prior to use. Use the formula:

Total mg ÷ Volume added (mL) = Concentration (mg/mL)

Example: 10mg vial + 2mL BAC water = 5mg/mL solution

Reconstituted peptide should be stored at 2–8°C and used within 28–30 days.

Protocol Notes

Published animal and early clinical research provides the following reference frameworks — not instructions for use:

• Dose range: 0.05–0.25mg/kg in rodent IV/SC studies; human Phase II/III trials used 0.05mg/kg IV
• Frequency: Single-dose or daily dosing studied in acute ischemia models; repeated daily in chronic disease models
• Administration route: IV infusion (2h) in clinical trials; SC injection in most preclinical studies
• Study duration: Acute (single dose) to 4–12 weeks in chronic model studies

Research Stacks

SS-31 is commonly paired in research settings with:

• MOTS-c — MOTS-c activates AMPK and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis; SS-31 targets cardiolipin on the inner mitochondrial membrane to stabilize cristae structure and reduce ROS output. Researchers use both to examine structural and transcriptional support of mitochondrial function within the same model.
• NAD+ — NAD+ replenishment supports sirtuin deacetylase activity and electron transport chain efficiency; pairing with SS-31’s membrane-stabilizing mechanism is used to study combined substrate availability and organelle integrity effects on mitochondrial output.
• Epithalon — Epithalon’s telomerase-activating and antioxidant properties complement SS-31’s mitochondrial ROS suppression; the pairing is studied in models of cellular aging where both organelle-level and genomic mechanisms of oxidative stress are examined together.

Purity Guarantee

Every batch is ≥99% purity. If you independently test your compound and the results don’t match — send us the COA and we’ll issue store credit, no questions asked.